Anarchists in the Park!

One of the most common objections to the philosophy of voluntarism (or “anarchy” – a term I avoid, as it means so many different things to so many different people) is: “But it’s never been tried!”

The folks who think this is true should come take a look at the park in our neighborhood. Because right now, it’s overrun with anarchists. Little ones.

Take a look:

These kids and their families are running roughshod over everything that makes democracy sacred. They just show up, with their sleds and their inner tubes, they march themselves up to the top of the hill and they slide on down like it’s nobody’s business.

There are no rules posted about who goes where or in what order, or what you can and can’t put on your sled. There’s no little sign with a skateboarding dog smoking a pipe. And I can guarantee you that not a one of these kids is licensed to sled.

How can I guarantee that? Because there’s no such thing as a sledding license. Although it’s perfectly likely that there will be, five years or so from now, and at that time, everyone will just think it’s always been that way and if they ever find out any different, they’ll scratch their heads in disbelief, wondering how society was ever able to function without such a thing as a sledding license.

“But that’s not really anarchy,” the naysayers will scold, as they brush away the snow recently deposited on them by nearby anarchists. “This is all taking place within the larger context of a statist society!”

And they’re right, those naysayers. It is. (For a discussion of why voluntarism/anarchy would not only work in place of this statist arrangement, but in fact do a much better job, see my recent interview with anarcho capitalist Bob Murphy.) But that’s not my point.

My point is that we engage in “anarchy” every single day of our lives. Every day we interact with other people, making decisions, negotiating solutions, figuring out how to get along with each other, without resorting to state violence.

And yes, there are situations that may call for adjudication by a third party, or even the threat of violence (again, see my interview with Bob to learn why even these things are better handled by private parties than by the monopoly state.) But you don’t get to say that “anarchy has never been tried.” Because we try it every single day. And it works.