55 sats \ 3 replies \ @jasonb 25 Jun \ on: But You Always Need a Government libertarian
I totally agree with you here, but part of it is just semantics. I remember as a political science major back in college them beating into us these definitions. It helped me understand the concepts better, but if the layman still hears something different, these definitions might not be the hill to die on. Especially for Americans, who use the word State for particular province-type entities, it’s sometimes confusing if one is talking about forced governance in general or a particular level thereof.
As far as the non-semantic point you’re trying to make, hell yeah! I love my country and all the micro-nations in it, but I’m furious with the state these days. What to do? Let’s starve the state!
As an aside, I’ve always thought of the Kurds as the perfect example of a nation, because they transcend both different countries and states.
I don't think we disagree. I'm not saying this is a hill to die on. I mean I think people misunderstand what is being communicated and defining the terms can help. You are correct on the "state" term but the term state is used in international relations and is commonly heard in the news. I think most people understand the "state department" isn't focused on the 50 states of the US.
I sometimes say governance vs government as well which is an alt to using "state".
The Kurds are a good example.
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Yeah, just passing it along. I don't recall the first person I heard it from but it has stuck with me. Anarchy has different meanings to people. The dominate one in my experience is "no rules". IE Chaos. This is one reason I don't use this term much with normies. What anarchists typically mean is "no rulers". We need rules/guides/laws. Order is good. We even need leaders. I reject the idea that we need rulers. If we want leaders we can follow their lead.
I really see laziness as the main issue keeping people from breaking past the belief in government. Many good thinkers and writers have answered most of the objections we see to abolishing the state. Frankly, I don't usually waste my time with discussions because people are not interested in thinking about such things. This is why I find bitcoin so interesting. If people had to vote to pass laws for bitcoin to work it would never happen. But because of its design it will move past the mental blocks of most people and win on utility.
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