I have a few burning practical questions on anarcho-capitalism today: Is there any way to achieve an anarcho-capitalist society anytime in the future? If so, how? Can electing the correct people into office help?
I know we are opposed to democracy, but I cannot see how anarcho-capitalism can be achieved on a nation-wide or global scale without the participation of a majority of the citizens. Any thoughts?
Become an entrepeneur and change the world!
That, or try seasteading.
If the common man wakes up, or if there is a strong intellectual movement, then we will see serious change.
Right now 99% of people believe it’s morally GOOD to have institutionalized violent aggression.
That percentage needs to change for true freedom to have a chance.
We do have some neat tools now that we didn’t have before however. Without those tools, you wouldn’t have ever heard about it and neither would I.
So keep educating.
I think the best way is probably to focus on local elections and state elections. To stop statism, it is particularly important that we shut down or reduce funding for the government school system to enable parents to remove their kids from those schools. The obvious way to abolish government schools is to pass a state constitutional amendment saying that children born more than a year after the amendment goes into effect are ineligible to attend government school. If this passes, we are looking at about 20 years until we get rid of the schools. At the local level, the goal should be to repeal ordinances and zoning and to keep property taxes very low. We can win elections in most of the country as the machines only control elections in the big cities and statewide elections (state legislators are not usually part of a political machine). Once we have the local governments in most of the country and the state legislatures under our control, we will be able to compete in the more difficult elections. Running as a Democrat or Republican is an absolute necessity. The sheeple don’t vote for 3rd parties.
In the case of the federal government, I am unsure what we should do. Part of me says we should try to elect Ron Paul in order to reform the system. Another part of me says that we should try to bring about the bankruptcy of the feds as soon as possible in order to stop their predations. A total collapse of the feds could leave us with the ability to achieve an anarchist society, provided that we had the support of the people.
The key to convincing people is that we need to control the universities and other centers of learning. If we had just one solidly libertarian university, it would be a major asset to our movement. Another priority of ours needs to be to establish our own private schools at which we educate children in our values. One of the biggest problems we have is the lack of libertarian textbooks. Our biggest mistake has been ceding the important realm of education to the government and to religious schools that are usually pro-government.
I think limited government will probably be achieved first. Once that is achieved, I think anarchists can carry the anarchist-minarchist debate (I don’t regard minarchists as having any good arguments).
Kiba hit it on the head.
I also partially agree with Ragnar on local (not state) elections. Those unable to get into private business could try to get elected to Mayor (especially you New Hampshirers). Much good can be done there. But ultimately it will be a single dude with the right business idea at the right time, at the right place to give us anarcho-capitalism. Keep thinking and you face could be ongold coins 50years form now.