I think that everyone at one time or another, should ask themselves the question, “Why do we have government?” It is a complex question with no clear answer. Many people do not fully understand the reasons why we all feel compelled to give another person power over us and let other people have control over certain parts of our lives.
Many people believe that Anarchy is the only way the human race can obtain true freedom and happiness. I disagree. While I consider myself an Anarchist and am opposed to any institution that would control other people, I do not believe that pure Anarchy is truly attainable. I do not believe that the human race will ever be without some form of government. In order for you to understand why I say this I must first define what Anarchism is to me. The following are a few examples of definitions of and views on Anarchy that I agree with.
“Anarchism (from the Greek, contrary to authority)- The name given to a principle or theory of life and conduct under which society is conceived without government – harmony in such a society being obtained, not by submission to law, or by obedience to any authority, but by free agreements concluded between the various groups, territorial and professional, freely constituted for the sake of production and consumption, as also for the satisfaction of the infinite variety of needs and aspirations of a civilized being.”- Peter Kropotkin, “Anarchism,” The Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1910. “A common description of Anarchism is that it has as its aim the abolition of the state. Now, while this is certainly correct – it would indeed be hard to find an Anarchist who is positively enamored of any government apparatus, be it located in Chicago, Washington, Moscow, or Baghdad – it is not (to my mind) the best way of describing the Anarchist goal. Rather, Anarchism should be understood as aiming at the abolition of all forms of domination. That is, Anarchism is resolutely opposed to any relations between humans in which one decides for another, without the other’s consent, how that other is to live and coerces that other into living that way. So Anarchism is opposed not only to government, to the police and military and legislature and judiciary. It is also opposed capitalism, in which a few possessing the means of production compel the rest, on pain of starvation, to produce for the profit of those few in return for a wage; and to racism of any form; and to any sort of oppression on the basis of one’s sexuality. In place of all this, which is inherently reprehensible (and if want justification of this claim, try living in an explicit state of being dominated and see what you think of it!), Anarchists seek to bring about a situation on which everybody determines for oneself as much as possible, as free and cooperative as can be devised, how one is to live one’s life. –Ron Carrier, “Anarchism and Power”
I believe the human race, as a whole cannot escape government because its foundation is built into our instincts. If you look back in time through the history of mankind, you will find that man is, by nature, a pack animal.
From the oldest fossils and earliest recordings of our history we have lived in social and familial groups. We are governed by the laws of our nature and instincts before any that we set forth on our own, and in most cases, have incorporated them into our religions and governments. We are governed by the natural laws of the pack, which are as follows (as I see them):
Killing within your own pack is forbidden.
You may not take another’s mate unless you can prove yourself better than them.
You may not breech another pack’s territory.
If anything threatens the pack, each member MUST help defend it.
We have retained these basic and natural laws throughout our existence. All human civilizations in recorded history have kept these laws and most likely will as long as humans exist. These laws are the basis of our current governments, and all that have come before them. In fact, I would say, that governments and countries are merely elaborated forms of the pack.
From ancient tribal governments to modern Democracy, Communism, and Dictatorships, they all serve the same purpose, to provide for the security and prosperity of the pack, although some are more effective than others are.
All governments have advantages, even Communism and Dictatorships. They are effective in providing for their citizens and protecting them. But such security under government has come with drawbacks, such as repression, war, disloyalty or disunity within the pack, and varying degrees, the loss of an individual’s control over their own life. The United States and Democracy are probably the most benign example of these things, but we are not without them.
One of the biggest disadvantages of modern government is that a foreign country’s actions often have a direct effect on our lives (ex. Iraq invading Kuwait). Your entire existence can be changed forever by the actions of other countries (ex. The stock market crash of 1929).
On the other hand, Anarchy doesn’t share these disadvantages. In fact, many are actually advantages under Anarchy.
After all, if there were no governments, countries, or tribes, who would go to war with you? Who would repress you? Who would be disloyal to you? Who would have control over your life but you?
The answer is no one, because you would be responsible for your own well being. Laws, police, or military would not control you. You would be in control over every aspect of your own life, aside from those controlled by nature. Your decisions concerning who to help, who to fight, and who to protect, would all be made of your own free will. No corporation would have a monopoly over you, no one would tell you what you could or couldn’t say, and you would not be bound by any agreement or law (other than your own) to do anything you didn’t want to.
But such high levels of freedom and independence raise their own questions. Who would come to your aid in a crisis? Who could you trust?
The answer again is no one. There would be no government-funded programs and organizations such as welfare, social security, and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Association). There would be no military or police to protect you. You would be responsible for forming your own alliances and organizing with others against another individual or group, and no one would be required to help you.
This is why I think that there always has been and always will be the unity of pack and government on some level. We are not comfortable without having someone else making at least some decisions for us and bringing some level of order and organization to our lives. Also, we do not trust one another enough to forsake all laws and those who enforce them. It is our nature to be suspicious and untrusting of one another. We know that there will always be those who would seek to take advantage of us.
Empires grow and erode like mountains. Countries form and evaporate like water puddles. Governments rise and fall like trees, but one thing will always remain the same, people will unite. One will lead, and others will follow. That is our nature. We will continue to protect and provide for each other in order to ensure our survival.
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