What would your polictical party be? Should we abolish the political spectrum?

but then, why shouldn't people have the right to decide to defend themselves instead of placing that responsibility onto someone else?

People are allowed to defend themselves now.

Originally posted by BackFire
So it would go from how it is now, from "pay for it or else" to "pay for it or else"?

Originally posted by BackFire
People are allowed to defend themselves now.

indeed

but then, they still also have to pay to be protected by someone else

EDIT: the wording of that was a little off, I was trying to express closer to what Bardock said... cough.... 😖hifty:

Understood.

Originally posted by Bardock42
No, it would go from "Pay for it or we come put you in jail" to "Pay for it or we don't help you, but hey, just help yourself, mate".

So modern utopian anarchy is like being owned by the mafia?

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
So modern utopian anarchy is like being owned by the mafia?

Originally posted by Bardock42
Nah

Yah?

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
So modern utopian anarchy is like being owned by the mafia?

Bioshock handled the "Protect yourself." argument.

"Does your neighbour like to throw his weight around with the Electro Bolt plasmid? Get Electro Bolt 2!".

-AC

Originally posted by lord xyz
Yes, precisely.

Which is why I personally advocate Totalitarianism. Less lying to people about things.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
So modern utopian anarchy is like being owned by the mafia?

rather, it doesn't force you to pay for or participate in something against your will

and if there were any such social pressure to participate in community security initiatives, it is certainly not at gun point and punishable by a loss of personal freedom.

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
Bioshock handled the "Protect yourself." argument.

"Does your neighbour like to throw his weight around with the Electro Bolt plasmid? Get Electro Bolt 2!".

-AC

Oh, Bioshock said that? I got things to ponder.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Which is why I personally advocate Totalitarianism. Less lying to people about things.

That may be an advantage, but there are some down sides to it.

Originally posted by inimalist
rather, it doesn't force you to pay for or participate in something against your will

and if there were any such social pressure to participate in community security initiatives, it is certainly not at gun point and punishable by a loss of personal freedom.

Just loss of personal life. Not much of a choice.

Originally posted by Bardock42
That may be an advantage, but there are some down sides to it.

None that we don't have already and none that wouldn't appear in most systems anyway.

It wasn't the source that counts, Bardock. Just the point they made.

-AC

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos

None that we don't have already and none that wouldn't appear in most systems anyway.

I would very much disagree.

Originally posted by Bardock42
I would very much disagree.

Then the absolute dictator can have you disappear. Everybody wins.

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
It wasn't the source that counts, Bardock. Just the point they made.

-AC

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Just loss of personal life. Not much of a choice.

I don't think that follows. Even if we assume the most individualistic of anarchist definitions (I think I'm a little more socialist than Bardock, personally), there is no reason to think that the person's life is in any immediate danger. The idea is, people aren't naturally evil. Some are, and one might need to protect themselves from the criminal element occasionally, but anarchists sort of ideologically don't think that it is government or the police that keep people from robbing or stealing from each other.

besides, you are also assuming a tax like payment system. A pay per use system would be open to anyone on an optional basis. Call 9-11 and figure out a way to provide payment after, rather than be forced at gunpoint to provide a percent of your paycheck regardless.

come to think of it, which one of those sounds more like the mafia?

Originally posted by Bardock42
It's not a particularly good point though. Of course you can buy a bigger gun, but for your own sake there's no point in it.

There is if you want to kill someone. Aren't you the one who always say that the person with the biggest gun has the power?