I have a few problems with the state, such as:
-Hundreds of millions of innocent people slaughtered in war between modern nation states.
This hasn't happened before. Unless you're counting Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia as 'modern nation states'.
-The threat of total destruction of life on this planet due to nuclear weapons that were developed and built exclusively by nation states with tax revenue.
As opposed to the threat of total destruction of life on this planet due to nuclear weapons that were developed and built exclusively by private enterprises with shareholder revenue?
Nuclear weapons are a stupid idea, which is why most world governments haven't elected to build them. But what exactly is preventing free market entrepreneurs from building them? Right now, it's the government, ironically enough. What would it be in an anarcho-capitalist system? And how would an anarcho-capitalist system magically disarm China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia? It's power, which is money. An anarcho-capitalist system would design and trade nukes the first chance it got.
Also worth noting that nuclear weapons have been used to murder civilians by a democratically elected, supposedly limited government.
The calculation was the more civilians would die without their use. IS your issue with the fact that a choice was made between the two possibilities or that action was taken at all? Either way, doesn't seem a very defensible stance.
-The millions of people in the state's prisons right now who are used as virtual slaves, are often subjected to beatings, rape and abuse by their guards; many of whom have committed no violent crime whatsoever.
Australia has a prison population smaller than 30,000. There are certainly
not often subjected to beatings, rape, and abuse by their guards. Where do you come up with this stuff?
I'm all for overhaul of criminal law, but we can do that within the current system, and over time that has been happening. No points for anarcho-capitalism there.
-The millions who have needlessly died from drugs because they couldn't get clean drugs due to the state's laws.
As above, needs overhaul. Perfectly doable in the current system of liberal democracy, ignoring the progress that's already been made (needle exchange points, injection rooms, safe needle use advice, etc). I'm glad most Australian states have decriminalised marijuana. There's more to do though.
-The innocent bystanders killed as a byproduct of gang warfare that results from the criminalization of victimless crimes like drugs, prostitution and gambling.
Drugs and robbery largely. Prostitution and gambling laws vary by state but we're pretty lax here compared to, say, America. Could do with reform.
-People forced into unemployment and degrading welfare dependence because of the governments minimum wage laws.
Because, clearly, removing minimum wage laws and the dole will fix problems like unemployment!
Might I add that unemployment in Australia is at an optimal level? If unemployment falls too low, it constrains growth, as there is a small or non-existent pool of hirable labour.
-The stifling of economic development and prosperity that could lift billions out of poverty due to bureaucracy, red tape and taxation.
Billions? What, are you trying to fix the world in one fell swoop? Solve world poverty and enact world peace? And you think allowing unrestrained exploitation of things like the labour market and environment will do that?
-The trillions stolen from taxpayers (once again in supposedly democratic, free countries) that was transferred to wealthy banking interests who funded the politicians that bailed them out.
Are you an American or an Australian? You're saying things that don't even apply to Australia (and only apply to America if you're misguided).
As for taxation: I suppose you'd have private companies with no oversight build our roads and run our prisons. I can certainly see that ending well.
I'm not sure removing taxation would change much anyway. Everyone would suddenly be richer and the cost of items would increase such that they were as expensive as before. Although certainly the poor would be poorer, and the rich would be richer. I guess in your world that's a good thing.
-Constant invasion of basic privacy under the guise of protecting national security. All internation traffic that passes through the United States (i.e most international traffic) is now monitored by the NSA. Most governments the world over now have wide ranging provisions allowing them to spy on their own citizens, with the agencies that do this having no accountability to the public, once again because it could jepordize national security.
Those are being pared back under Obama. See the recently passed JUSTICE act. Again, though, Australia does not equal America. Rudd can't even manage to pass his internet filter.
But what would you have us do? Grin and bear terrorist attacks? I'm all for limiting government spying, but states like Somalia or Afghanistan won't magically cease to exist under anarcho-capitalism.
There's just a few things that come to mind. Those that call us selfish are really resorting to a very childish ad hominem.
Oh, so you're
not selfish now? I wish you guys could decide. Half of you twits try to convince us selfishness is a good thing and the more selfish you are the better, and the other half try to convince us it's not selfishness at all.
We are not against charity or helping the poor, we are just against forcing people to contribute to such causes using the threat of imprisonment and murder.
Name one Western country under which you can be executed for, say, not paying taxes (I know it's punishable by death in China, but hopefully you can see why that's not a valid example).
