[libertasbella]

What is a Minarchist?

A Minarchist is someone who believes that the state should only exist for the purpose of maintaining law and order. Minarchism is a Libertarian political philosophy where the state’s only function is protecting individuals from theft, breach of contract, fraud, and aggression.

The government would still maintain the military, police, courts, fire departments, prisons, and legislatures, but the state would have no ability to interfere with the capitalist interactions and transactions of the people.

These states are referred to as “Night-watchman states.” One of the biggest supporters of this philosophy was Robert Nozick and he talked about it in his book “Anarchy, State, and Utopia.”

Minarchists believe that this standby approach to the economy will result in improved economic prosperity compared to the current system. Essentially, the word “minarchist” means “minimal statism” or “minimal state.”

They want as little interference as possible other than to protect the contracts between two private individuals. They want the government and state to act as a checks and balances system rather than enforcement of the system.

This method of governing is most popular with Libertarianism of the United States and the right-libertarian political philosophy. That said, it’s also been popular with libertarian socialists and other leftists.

Some of them believe that a minimal welfare state is appropriate only when social safety nets are put in place for the working class. They believe that eliminating welfare programs would only make sense if you also eliminate capitalism. Some more extreme leftists believe that it would be better to repeal corporate welfare rather than social welfare for underprivileged and poor people.

Minarchism Definition

The minarchism definition means “minimal government intervention.” The main thing to remember is that people with this ideology believe that the government still has its role in society, but they need to take a step back and let the people transact as they please.

Many confuse minarchists with Anarchists who believe that the government has no role and should not have any purpose in maintaining checks and balances. Anarchists believe that you should be responsible for defending your property, enforcing your own laws, and backing up your own contracts with as much or as little force as necessary.

Ideology and Philosophy of a Minarchist

Many minarchists justify that a state still has its role in providing logical consequences for aggression. Some believe that it’s impossible to have any form of society without a state because the optional enforcement of laws makes for an unviable political system.

They’re saying that when you take away the state, you’re basically saying that the people should be responsible for defending themselves and everything they work hard for. This thinking would obviously not work in 99% of situations where there are many people unable to defend and protect themselves on their own.

Another issue is the privatization of defense and courts. Most minarchists believe that privatizing law enforcement, military, and courts would create a bias that would unevenly represent those who are capable of paying more for their protection.

Of course, there is a lot of skepticism over whether or not that happens in government already because a political system built on total government control has the potential for bias as well. Most minarchists believe that a night-watchman state can develop a political system that respects individual rights.

Taxation is another big issue addressed by minarchists and libertarians alike. Some support taxation because they believe it’s a necessary evil to prevent “free riders.” Others strongly oppose it and think that it’s wrong for the people to have to pay for government funding in a free society.

Ayn Rand is one of the most notable opponents of taxation, but she also believes that the removal of tax should occur gradually so as not to cripple the economic society. This also brings up the issue of whether or not a minarchy would require the people to pay tax or fees for the services provided.

When you call for a tow truck to tow your car, you have to pay for that service; it’s not a human right. In a capitalist democracy, police, firefighters, courts, and legislature are rights available to citizens provided that they pay the necessary tax to receive those rights.

It’s a grey area as to whether or not the minarchist state would pay for these services on a case-to-case basis and how they would enforce these rules.

Continue reading Minarchist: A Definition of the Night-Watchman State on Thought Grenades, the blog on Libertas Bella

[Pants-of-dog]

@libertasbella

Is there a real world example of this working?

[mum]

Perhaps early USA ? A relatively small government, taxation rate and oversight.
Not entirely minarchist, but interesting nonetheless

[Pants-of-dog]

If we use the early USA, and by that I will assume you are discussing before 1776, then we are discussing a time when slavery was the norm, Indigenous people were being massacred, and women, children, and anyone too poor to own land basically had no rights.

Is this minarchism?

[mum]

It could be part of minarchism or not part of minarchism. I don't think minarchism itself implies the individuals participating in it are all evil or not evil.

[Pants-of-dog]

So things like slavery, lack of rights, codified racism, land theft, and mass killings by government can all exist in a minarchist society.

This does not seem like a good goal.

[Unthinking Majority]

@libertasbella

Is there a real world example of this working?

No it's yet another neoliberal disaster waiting to happen.

The data is fairly clear which kinds of governments work best. Ideology has no place in policy when data can't ban it up.

[Unthinking Majority]

Perhaps early USA ? A relatively small government, taxation rate and oversight.
Not entirely minarchist, but interesting nonetheless

And then the Great Depression happened because the market was not adequately regulated. And then it happened again in 2008.

Countries have ran this experient before many times and it hasn't gone so well.

In fact many countries have tried it in the developing world too because of policies like The Washington Consensus and "structural adjustment". You know what happens when a poor country has weak economic regulation? Wealthy foreign interests flood the economy and exploit domestic markets, natural resources, and labor. It's a shit-show.

A country like China has done so well in part because it has a strong government that is able to adequately regulating its markets and resources etc while preventing foreign investment from exploiting its economy and resources to its detriment, while at the same time embracing the productive efficiencies of capitalism. This was simply not the case until Mao died in 1976.

[libertasbella]

If we use the early USA, and by that I will assume you are discussing before 1776, then we are discussing a time when slavery was the norm, Indigenous people were being massacred, and women, children, and anyone too poor to own land basically had no rights.

Is this minarchism?

Good point. All of those atrocities would never have been legal under a minarchist government.

[pugsville]

What is a Minarchist?

A Minarchist is someone who believes that the state should only exist for the purpose of maintaining law and order. Minarchism is a Libertarian political philosophy where the state’s only function is protecting individuals from theft, breach of contract, fraud, and aggression.

The government would still maintain the military, police, courts, fire departments, prisons, and legislatures, but the state would have no ability to interfere with the capitalist interactions and transactions of the people.

These states are referred to as “Night-watchman states.” One of the biggest supporters of this philosophy was Robert Nozick and he talked about it in his book “Anarchy, State, and Utopia.”

Minarchists believe that this standby approach to the economy will result in improved economic prosperity compared to the current system. Essentially, the word “minarchist” means “minimal statism” or “minimal state.”

They want as little interference as possible other than to protect the contracts between two private individuals. They want the government and state to act as a checks and balances system rather than enforcement of the system.

This method of governing is most popular with Libertarianism of the United States and the right-libertarian political philosophy. That said, it’s also been popular with libertarian socialists and other leftists.

Some of them believe that a minimal welfare state is appropriate only when social safety nets are put in place for the working class. They believe that eliminating welfare programs would only make sense if you also eliminate capitalism. Some more extreme leftists believe that it would be better to repeal corporate welfare rather than social welfare for underprivileged and poor people.

Minarchism Definition

The minarchism definition means “minimal government intervention.” The main thing to remember is that people with this ideology believe that the government still has its role in society, but they need to take a step back and let the people transact as they please.

Many confuse minarchists with Anarchists who believe that the government has no role and should not have any purpose in maintaining checks and balances. Anarchists believe that you should be responsible for defending your property, enforcing your own laws, and backing up your own contracts with as much or as little force as necessary.

Ideology and Philosophy of a Minarchist

Many minarchists justify that a state still has its role in providing logical consequences for aggression. Some believe that it’s impossible to have any form of society without a state because the optional enforcement of laws makes for an unviable political system.

They’re saying that when you take away the state, you’re basically saying that the people should be responsible for defending themselves and everything they work hard for. This thinking would obviously not work in 99% of situations where there are many people unable to defend and protect themselves on their own.

Another issue is the privatization of defense and courts. Most minarchists believe that privatizing law enforcement, military, and courts would create a bias that would unevenly represent those who are capable of paying more for their protection.

Of course, there is a lot of skepticism over whether or not that happens in government already because a political system built on total government control has the potential for bias as well. Most minarchists believe that a night-watchman state can develop a political system that respects individual rights.

Taxation is another big issue addressed by minarchists and libertarians alike. Some support taxation because they believe it’s a necessary evil to prevent “free riders.” Others strongly oppose it and think that it’s wrong for the people to have to pay for government funding in a free society.

Ayn Rand is one of the most notable opponents of taxation, but she also believes that the removal of tax should occur gradually so as not to cripple the economic society. This also brings up the issue of whether or not a minarchy would require the people to pay tax or fees for the services provided.

When you call for a tow truck to tow your car, you have to pay for that service; it’s not a human right. In a capitalist democracy, police, firefighters, courts, and legislature are rights available to citizens provided that they pay the necessary tax to receive those rights.

It’s a grey area as to whether or not the minarchist state would pay for these services on a case-to-case basis and how they would enforce these rules.

Continue reading Minarchist: A Definition of the Night-Watchman State on Thought Grenades, the blog on Libertas Bella

Is this anything other than a scam to sell t shirts and merchandise?

[Pants-of-dog]

Good point. All of those atrocities would never have been legal under a minarchist government.

Apparently they were legal under a minarchist government.

Or you can claim that this was not a minarchist government, in which case, you have the problem that this type of government has never happened.

[mum]

No one is claiming it has happened in its complete form. I don't see how that's a requirement for the validity of an idea.

[Pants-of-dog]

No one is claiming it has happened in its complete form. I don't see how that's a requirement for the validity of an idea.

It does strongly suggest that minarchism is not realistic and may even be impossible.

[Unthinking Majority]

No one is claiming it has happened in its complete form. I don't see how that's a requirement for the validity of an idea.

Have you considered the possibility that there may be good reasons why this kind of economy hasn't happened in modern times? If you want the rich and powerful to run the show without much or any regulation you haven't read enough history. When you give greedy people an inch they will take it.

[wat0n]

The idea of the "minimal State" seems more like a broad principle to follow than a specific form of government.

Whatever is "minimal" isn't all that clear and doesn't need to be stable over time. However, the idea that the government should generally try to let civil society handle itself is not necessarily a bad one.

[Rich]

@libertasbella This minarchism you talk about seems to be just another word for socialism. Jesus you make Marius and the Gracchi look like Conservative libertarians.

Even the infamous socialist Augustus Caesar never had the effrontery to propose a public police force ahead of time. Augustus sneaked through the creation of a tax payer funded police force, through the creation of a public fire service. This was surely one of the most cynical moves in history. His great uncle Julius, whose name and fortune he inherited, early political career was completely dependant on the generosity of Marcus Licinius Crassus. The job creating, wealth creating entrepreneur Crassus made a significant a mount of his money through his private enterprise fire services.

The Roman Republic did just fine for hundreds of years without a public fire service or police force. Defending one's person, family and property, in conjunction with the local community is one of the most basic responsibilities of a man. Rather than agitating for tax funded police services why don't you just cut off all our testicles and be done with it. Particularly after the abominations of police enforced lockdowns, "defund the police" must be the demand of any right thinking lover of liberty.

Historical note: Its been argued that it was Crassus's reckless actions against the Parthians that led to the death of Viserys Targaryen in Game of Thrones.

[libertasbella]

@libertasbella This minarchism you talk about seems to be just another word for socialism.

I'm missing the part where a minarchist government would forcibly redistribute wealth.

[Pants-of-dog]

Minarchism can be perfect because it has nothing to do with history and society as it exists.

[mum]

Have you considered the possibility that there may be good reasons why this kind of economy hasn't happened in modern times? If you want the rich and powerful to run the show without much or any regulation you haven't read enough history. When you give greedy people an inch they will take it.

It seems to me that this is only possible with the power of the state (which is always corrupt). You say regulated, and yet regulations protect the richest and impede the poorest.
Sorry I don't seem to share your view on regulation and protections the state supposedly provides (and state sponsored/corporate media also tell you to think this)

[mum]

Minarchism can be perfect because it has nothing to do with history and society as it exists.

This seems to be a real bugbear of yours. The fact that on a politics forum, where a people of a particular view are sharing a particular view on how things could be organised, this exact scenario hasn't happened before in the past.
This somehow invalidates the idea, make it worthless.
In context, this is a sub alongside many others. Ideas such as communism and fascism which have occurred in history and resulted in untold death and destruction.
Democracy and social democracy, in their various forms have also happened, and yet there is so much improvement still to be had with ongoing corruption and resource waste.
It seems to me that libertarianism including minarchist and anarchist variants, are certainly worthy of discussion, among others.