From: The NAPster
Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2017 9:44 PM
To: Walter Block
Subject: Minarchism
Walter: I used to believe that minarchism was a reasonable stop on the way to anarcho-capitalism, but now I’ve concluded it’s actually quite the opposite. From an economic point of view the mincarchist must believe that defense, policing and dispute resolution are unique economic goods such that they require the state to provide them as a monopolist. However, to produce them requires the allocation of scarce resources — land, labor and capital — just as with every other economic good, and hence this economic view makes no sense. Looking at things from a moral point of view is even worse. Through its military and policing activities the state gravely violates the NAP in so many ways it seems ludicrous to suppose that these should be the province of the state. And its criminal justice system delivers anything but justice. Life, death and liberty should be the very last things we leave to this institutional rights violator. I’d respect minarchism more if it advocated that the state should be limited to relatively harmless activities such as national parks, museums and (gasp) even the roads. The NAPster
Dear Napster: No, no, no. I, too, have rejected anacho-capitalism. Speaking, now, as a minarchist, there is only ONE legitimate role for the ever-loving state apparatus. To compel everyone to read Human Action, Man, Economy and State, and the Ethics of Liberty. And, to this end, taxes are justified! They don’t call me Walter Moderate Block for nothing.
