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Is Anarchism Praticable Now?
It has been stated so often by those who will not oppose Anarchism on principle, but still go on advocating all manner of governmental reforms, that Anarchism is not practicable now; that we must be angels to make it so, and so on, that it is expedient to answer this argument. This argument presumes that men must be perfect in order to live together in peace. It also presumes that government acts as an equalizer and causes men to live together peaceably. Both of these propositions are fundamentally erroneous.
Can people live together in peace without government? Most assuredly they can, and do not need to be perfect in order to do so. It never has been done, some say, but that only shows their lack of knowledge of history. Some good Christians use this argument, basing their belief on the fall of man theory, I suppose. But the Bible tells us that, "In those days there was was no king (or ruler) in Israel, but every man did which was right in his own eyes."—Judges, xvii; 6. "Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt carelessly, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in anything."—Judges, xviii; 7. Here is evidence from their professed guide that people have lived and can do so in peace without rulers, laws or government.
R. T. Walsh, in the Youth's Companion, some four years ago, telling of his travels in the Caucasus, speaks of the Cossacks thus:
"All Cossacks inhabit towns and villages, some of which are prosperous as well as populous communities. They retain the principle of co-operation in trades, and inherit the custom of the ownership of land in common and have equal access, as far as practicable to all the productive wealth of the community. *** Among these people crime is almost unknown. They are too far from civilization to be tainted by the vices that mark its progress among the large cities of the world."
It must be remembered in connection with this, that these people had, after hundreds of years of defensive warfare, been compelled to lose a part of their liberties at the point of the Russian's cannons and were to some extent demoralized by contact with the governmental methods of the Russians. Prior to the treaty which put them under the Russian protectorate, they had lived in this simple manner, without law or government, even in the midst of aggressive enemies. The South Russians, too, lived a similar free communistic life, defending themselves from the government of Poland on the West, Tartary on the East and North Russia on the North, without any arbitrary authority amongst themselves, all their association for the purpose of repelling foes, wolves or men being spontaneous and voluntary, until the modern instruments of war caused them to allow the "Great Bear of the North" to "protect" them. Herbert Spencer, in his "Great Political Superstition" points out numerous people in various parts of the world, that lived peaceful lives without laws. So much for the truth of the assertion that people never lived together without laws and government.
On what grounds do people assert that none but angels can live together without coercive force, called government? On a narrow and erroneous conception of what "human nature" is. They point to every little trick, every rascally action—the result of our unequal opportunities—and assert that these are "human nature" and that government is necessary to adjust the quarrels that result from these tendencies; that people need to be restrained or they would prey upon each other, their tendency to do so being limited only by the extermination of the race. The first proposition is illogical as well as without foundation. In the first place the petty tricks and shrewd unscrupulous practices pointed out are no more "human nature" than are the most benevolent and magnanimous actions. In the second place, if such is "human nature," then the more power or authority we place in the hands of human beings, the more sure are we to suffer from these very
