FSK’s Guide to Reality posted this succinct breakdown of the differences between “anarcho-capitalism” and “agorism.” Labels can be incredibly damaging, as they often have different connotations in each person’s mind. As the post’s author says:
“I prefer to substitute definitions for what they actually mean, especially when there could be confusion.”
I agree, and that’s part of the reason I’m posting this here; and why I’ll be posting more definitional articles in the future. As damaging as labels can be; it is still important to define the terms of the discussion.
A couple of people have asked me:
“FSK frequently criticizes anarcho-capitalists as pro-State trolls. Aren’t anarcho-capitalism and agorism the same thing?”
I consider “agorism” and “free market anarchism” to be equivalent. Agorism and real free markets are the “One True Version of Anarchy”.
The fallacy of “anarcho-capitalists” is that they fail to answer “How will the State be eliminated?” They assume that the State will gradually shrink and then voluntarily shut itself down. This will occur by voting, which is the usual (L)libertarian fantasy.
Anarcho-capitalists sometimes defend large corporations as a natural free market occurrence. Large corporations cannot exist without State subsidies.
Anarcho-capitalists defend the current State. They say “We should obey State regulations for now. In the present, the State has legitimacy. The State is evil, but we need it right now.” Anarcho-capitalism is a pro-State philosophy of anarchy.
An agorist says “The State has zero legitimacy *STARTING NOW*. We will ignore all the stupid taxes and laws that restrict our productivity. We will boycott the State as much as possible, but a perfect 100% boycott is not feasible in the present.” An agorist wants the State to get bigger and more inefficient and then collapse, instead of gradually shrinking and disappearing. [...]
hey everybody! we’re agorists now, m’kay?
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Ha! Nice. I edited your comment so the picture would show up. You have to use real HTML to embed pictures, the BB “[img]” type thing doesn’t work.
thanks. i knew i could count on you.
because you’re an
REPUBLICAN
“we’re all agorists now.”
-richard nixon
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No one uses the “R-word” around here! How dare you, sir! I demand a duel at dawn! I will defend my honor!!!!!
kissingers at dawn then, one ballot each.
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You’re on! Prepare for the following fate to be brought down upon you!
I am AnCap and I have never held those views in my Life. Is someone trying to tell me what I think? And, I have NEVER heard an AnCap be pro Gov’t or pro-corp anything. I’m an Agorist through and through.
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These opinions are FSK’s; but I think he’s correct in pointing out that some misguided AnCaps defend corporations and privatization — of any kind — as being more inherently good than the state; when if fact they are symbiotic with it.
Thanks for the comment, this is why we need to define terms!
I like this discussion on the topic: Konkin on agorism vs. anarcho-capitalism. I’ll likely be posting about this in the Definition series in the near future.
From what I have read, it seems that the Agorist wanted to starve the State of funds through black market and agorist means. Depriving the State of funds until it collapsed, not inflate it until it explodes.
“An agorist wants the State to get bigger and more inefficient and then collapse, instead of gradually shrinking and disappearing.” – I have never seen an Agorist state this.
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I have seen agorists state that. The concept isn’t about trying to make the state bigger; it is about allowing it to grow more inefficient whilst withdrawing support and resources from it — it’s a simultaneous occurrence; as the state loses support, it will scramble and expand, trying to recover. That expansion will make its decline more rapid, in light of the shrinking support-base.
Thus the “want” or “desire” for the state to grow larger and more inefficient — stretched too thin. This is not the goal, but the result.
“They assume that the State will gradually shrink and then voluntarily shut itself down. This will occur by voting” – Bullshit! I have never heard any ancap of note from Mises or elsewhere suggest shrinking the state by voting, what a tool.
“Anarcho-capitalists defend the current State.” he then claims superiority of agorists by saying “We will boycott the State as much as possible, but a perfect 100% boycott is not feasible in the present.” translation: we defend the state too (by his retard logic) because we follow some of their rules as to not be thrown in prison and butt raped.
I am not familiar with fsk, but he is an idiot
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