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What is an anarchist or anarchy?
Many times the dictionary definition of a word is completely different then the way people use that word when they talk or write. I think this is true for the word anarchist and anarchism. It seems that many people consider anarchists bomb tossing crazies who want to kill everybody on the planet. They consider anarchists people who are full of violence and hate. I disagree with the common definition, and think that anarchists and anarchism are simply people who don't want government forced on. When I become a Libertarian I also became an anarchist. I think the term libertarian anarchist echos my political views. Here are a few dictionary definitions of anarchy and anarchism which I agree with and live my life by. a political theory holding all forms of governmental authority to be unnecessary and undesirable and advocating a society based on voluntary cooperation and free association of individuals and groups the term "anarchy" describes the simple absence of publicly recognized government or enforced political authority The term anarchism derives from the Greek ἄναρχος, anarchos, meaning "without rulers" Anarchism is a political philosophy which considers the state undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, and instead promotes a stateless society, or anarchy. In broad terms, anarchism is the rejection of coercion and domination in all forms Free-market anarchism (occasionally libertarian anarchism) refers to an individualist anarchist philosophy in which monopoly of force held by government would be replaced by a competitive market of non-monopolistic organizations providing security, justice, and other defense services.
Please note that those are definitions which I agree with. Many people consider anarchism, anarchists and anarchy different things and I don't agree with all those definitions.
As an anarchist the only form of government I consider valid is a government that I give my consent to govern me. Perhaps a good example of that would be when I get a job. I give my employer my consent to govern me in a limited number of ways. In return my employer pays me money for the work I do. Another example of government I consider valid are groups and clubs I have joined, which are mostly atheist, libertarian, or engineering groups. When I join these groups I give them my consent to govern me in a limited way. And return I get the benefits of membership in those groups. While I am a citizen and resident of both the United States and Arizona I give neither of those government my consent to govern me. Just because I live in the USA doesn't mean some government tyrant in Washington D.C. should be able to pass silly rules to micromanage my life, while at the same time demanding a cut of my income. And I feel the same way about the government of Arizona, where I also live and am a citizen. While I reject the American and Arizona governments I am sure the felling is not mutual. I am sure both the U.S. and Arizona governments consider me a serf who owes them obedience and a cut of my income. And of course if I don't obey their laws and pay their taxes they will lock my disobedient body in a prison for a long time. |