Reading Hoppe description of how the state emerged through an endogenous process (http://mises.org/etexts/intellectuals.asp)[1], how can we expect that even after a process of secession and privatization the natural order could remain as such? In other words, albeit I understand that history does not necessarily progress from a worse status into a better one, it nevertheless evolved toward the state formation. Will this “progressive” (statist in reality) path be reversed in the future, when a natural order will be finally re-established?
Notes:
[1] “The small but decisive step in the transition to a state consists precisely of the monopolization of the function of judge and peacemaker. This occurred once a single member of the voluntarily acknowledged natural elite was able to insist, despite the opposition of other members of the elite, that all conflicts within a specified territory be brought before him. Conflicting parties could no longer choose any other judge or peacemaker.”
You may find this post and subsequent discussion interesting. Essentially, the argument AJ makes is that if a society has sufficient Interconnectedness, Decentralization, Education, and Advancement (IDEA) then it should be able to prevent the re-emergence of a state.
Well, it totally depends on how did the state emerge at the beginning. By accident? Than it will come again, given time.
Did it emerge due to an interacted series of factors that allowed it to be, which is AJ’s idea in the post liked above? Than if the current statist world develops to its fullest, i.e. a global government which shall destroy the capital stock of the earth for good, thus giving rise to the very same conditions in which the state originated, it shall probably come again.
Is there something intrinsic in humans that drives it? Than only slow evolution shall free us and we’d do well to leave the forum and go hump every girl we see to help evolution out.
Or is it, as I myself believe, because the state actually makes economic sense? Than, after it is gone, it shall not come again.
Maybe, after the crash of this upcoming and struggling statist one world order, we will assist to a world society formed by a mixture of government forms: nation states, monarchies, principates, and free natural-order based societies. I believe the establishment of these free societies would be possible, i.e. they will be able to defend themselves with citizen militia, to successfully trade with other societies, and administer laws in a competitive jurisdictional environment (as the many examples in history have shown it is possible: lex mercatoria, hawal international payment system, mercenaries armies, organized charity associations, etc.). Probably these free societies will be able to outcompete the state form of government/society by attracting more citizens by granting them a higher standard of living. Some citizens, for their natural attachment to the land were they have born, will continue to prefer a less efficient form of government (like the state one), while others will be able, and willing to move and settle in a free society. Probably also the state form will be present in a wider level of size, economic and social freedom than we have today: smaller states, states more free than others, with a thriving private sector, and a very limited administration (like Italian and European city-states in the Renaissance). What I know is that the current form of state, which is seemingly leading us to a single world order, will crash under the weight of the instability it is generating in terms of torrent of legislation produced, weak money, inflation, and deadly wars and conflicts.
I’m looking forward the upcoming failure of the state world order, as we have assisted to the failure of the Soviet Union.