Hunting Down Social Darwinism Will This Canard Go Extinct

Overthrowingthe Anarchists 313

civiliansandtheircollateralat the costof CountryJbeingableto achievethe swiftest
militaryvictories.Thatreductionin the sizeof CountryJ’s governmentwouldresultin
foreigndictatorshipsconqueringCountryJandtherebymaximizingoppressionwithin
CountryJ. For CountryJto minimizeits governmentin thiscontextwouldlikewise
minimizeliberty.Nay,the size of a country’s governmentis not inverselyproportionalto
the degreesof DomesticPeaceandlibertythatthatcountryexperiences.Rather,the
degreeof libertyaccumulatedis directlyproportionalto two othermeasures.

1. The degreeto whichthe governmentpreventsand punishesspoliation.


2. The degreeto whichthe governmentabstainsfromspoliating.

Position 1 requiresa nightwatchmanstate’s presenceand therebyprecludesanarchy.As
we haveread,libertariananarchistscounterthatPosition 2 is impossible.Theyvirulently
insistthateverygovernment—including a nightwatchman state—is, by definition,a
commissionof spoliation.Theironyis astonishing.Thenightwatchmanstateis not the
contradictionof liberty,but its prerequisite.I am emphaticallynot a “minarchist.” That
entirephrase,and the ideologicalimplicationsbehindits coinage,amountto a red herring
thatleadsfree-marketersastray.My positionis thatof supportfor the nightwatchman
state.I wantthe government“big” and possiblymaximizedto the extentthat this bigness
assistsin the government’s night-watchmanduties.I wantthe governmentsmall,limited,
and minimizedinsofaras that minimizationdetersthe governmentfromspoliativemeas-
ures.Contraryto my libertariananarchistfriend,the degreeof libertyyoufindin life
cannotbe properly quantifiedaccordingto some numericalmeasureof howmuch
“governmentinvolvement” thereis in yourexistence.I wanta highlevelof government
involvementin my affairsinasmuchas I wantthe governmentto enforceeachand every
contractI chooseto enter.I wantno governmentinvolvementinsofaras suchinvolve-
mentrefersto the degreeto whichthe Stateinterferesin dictatingcontractualtermsthat
shouldbe left up to the free negotiationof consentingadults.No, my friendis mixedup
whenhe presumesthatwanting“25 percentgovernmentinvolvement” in yourdoings
amountsto yoursupporting“75 percentlibertyand 25 percenttyranny,” especiallywith
no distinctionbeingmadein that“25 percentinvolvement” betweennight-watchman
functionsand spoliativegovernistfunctions.
It has beendifficultfor me to imaginethe anarchistsbeingmorewrongon anything
thantheyare on thisissue.Nevertheless,theyalsomisunderstandlibellawandthe
essentialneedfor truthfulnessin consensualhumanintercourse.Suchmattersmustbe
examinedas well.Uponcompletionof that examination,we will wrapup this trilogy.

NOTES

1. Zakaria2003,37.


2. S. Banner2007,132,citingM. Kelly1956,1–49; D. P. McGregor1996,6–8; andJ. Linnekin1983,
   169–171.Thisis alsoobservedby Valeri1985,155,372 n. 63, citingW. Shaler1935,95, and E. Townsend
   1921,17. Alsosee KuykendallandDay1961,54. Thesimilaritiesbetweenthe ancientHawaiiansystem
   and Europeanfeudalismare pointedout in S. D. Porteus1945,40.


3. Universityof ChicagoanthropologistValerioValeriobservesin this in Valeri1985,130-171.The
   sameappliesto Kuykendalland Day1961,27–28, 54.


4. Kuykendalland Day1961,54.


5. D. Friedman 1989 2d ed., paperback,117.


6. Bidinotto1994,accessedonlineTuesday,August6, 2013.


7. Acemogluand J. A. Robinson2012,80.


8. Binswanger1981c,http://hblist.com/anarchy.htm,accessedFriday,January18, 2008,


9. A. Burris 1983 2d ed., 334–35; and Rothbard1973b,289–290.


10. A. Burris1983,2d ed., 334.


11. Binswanger2011b,accessedonlineTuesday,January3, 2012.