Written by Mark Stovel for On the Mark. The State asserts a “coerced monopoly of the provision of defense service (police and courts) over a given territorial area” which is said to give the State the “right” to have the monopoly on all legitimate use of force in the given territorial area. This leads to…
Category: Voluntaryism
Social Stability, Rule of Law, and the Free Society
Written by Wheylous for The Voluntaryist Reader. Democracy has been hailed as the great system of governance that keeps a nation balanced on the thin line between authoritarianism and lawless anarchy. The voluntaryist’s suggestion that the core responsibilities of the state – provision of courts, police, and national defense – be demonopolized (that is, allowed…
How Government ‘Works’
Written by Bill Bonner for LewRockwell.com. There are many theories to explain government. Most are nothing but scams, justifications, and puffery. One tries to put something over on the common man…the other claims it was for his own good…and the third pretends that he’d be lost without it. Most are not really ‘theories’ at all…but…
Try This On Your Friends
Written by F. A. Harper, as published in The Voluntaryist, February 1991. The elections are over and the campaign dirt has settled a bit. Do you enjoy riddles? This one challenges many students of liberty. Once we see the problem, lack of a solution will bedevil us until we can solve it logically to the…
The Case Against Democracy: The More Things Change, The More They Remain the Same
Written by Carl Watner for The Voluntaryist, August 1990. Democracy. For many, the word sums up what is desirable in human affairs. Democracy, and agitation for it, occurs all over the world: the Pro-Democracy movement in China during 1989; the democratic reform movements taking place in Eastern Europe and the U.S.S.R. resulting in the breakup…
Why I am a Voluntaryist
Written by Neodoxy for The Voluntaryist Reader. This is a brief outline of why I consider myself a voluntaryist. When I say voluntaryism I mean a stateless system in which private property is protected through both for-profit and non-profit organizations.Read the full thing »
Liberty vs. War: A Brief History
Written by Jeffrey M. Herbener for Mises.org. We see through the lies and sophisms of pro-state ideology because we have accepted the truth advanced by those who champion liberty. Extrapolating from our experience, we can see that anti-state ideology is a necessary condition to establish and maintain liberty. The advantages it has over pro-state ideology…
The Futility of Repeal
Written by Wendy McElroy for DailyAnarchist.com. As a matter of principle, I am for repealing every piece of governmental legislation in existence. I echo and applaud the sentiment so eloquently expressed by Groucho Marx in the movie Horse Feathers: “Whatever it is, I’m against it!” As a practical matter, I think repealing laws is a…
Jury Nullification Gaining Influence On Criminal Trials
Written by Ryan Conley for SEO Law Firm’s Legal News Center. The power of jury nullification has gained recognition, acceptance, and wider use in recent years, and has the potential to profoundly affect the application of criminal justice in the United States. Jury nullification allows juries to acquit defendants who are guilty as charged, but…
Voluntary Governance
Written by Michael McConkey for The Libertarian Standard. As illegitimate as the involuntary nature of the state is, many people consider a wide range of what the state does to be thoroughly necessary. Some people value Pareto optimal outcomes, some don’t; some are willing to absorb more transaction costs than others; some worry about free…