20
Aug
2014
The Bigger Threat: The Police State or Looting?
You can guess my answer. Here’s an excerpt, but you should follow the link for my surprise conclusion!
But let’s put aside the specific triggers of riots and looting, and take them as given. It still doesn’t follow that we need a strong State to protect innocent lives. No, as I’ve explained elsewhere (try here and here), a free market economy can provide voluntary police and judicial services far more efficiently and peacefully than a monopoly institution. If only the State would get rid of its gun control laws and allow genuine competition in the “industry” of property protection, then the threats to person and property from looters would be minimized.
I do not agree entirely, but as the link mentions the LA riots and the beating of Reginald Denghy it should be noted that LAPD refused to go in during the riots. Private citizens rescued Denghy. People should note that law enforcement is not obligated to respond and often do not. ANother point to note is that stores where the owners made a visual armed presence were not looted, which sort of supports Dr. Bob’s theory about private protection.
Without even having to jump to the anarcho-capitalist solution, other western nations don’t have anything approaching the US police state, maybe the specific triggers are pretty dang important.
What’s the bigger threat: People who do not respect property rights or people who do not respect property rights?
Boom! 🙂
There wouldn’t be any thugs on private streets. They wouldn’t be allowed in the neighborhood.
http://www.vdare.com/articles/no-facts-no-peace-in-ferguson-you-dont-want-to-end-up-looking-like-rich-lowry
A little background on looting and the role of the media in it.
“a free market economy can provide voluntary police and judicial services far more efficiently and peacefully than a monopoly institution.”
A reasonably realistic free market only exists if police and judicial services are efficient…a free market cannot provide the conditions for its own existence.
yep.
Law is not voluntary, though most people usually voluntarily comply with it, often because they think it is just.
People who break the law usually find out that is isn’t voluntary.
As such there is no such thing as “voluntary police and judicial services”, as these are all part of the law and law enforcement.