[This article is a continuation of How Anarchic Market Forces (And Not the State) Created Civilization]
The epoch following the Neolithic Revolution in 10,000 B.C. was characterized by unprecedented growth in human population, culture, technology, and trade unrivaled in all of human history. The natural emergence of ideas and technology through entrepreneurial innovation and market processes over many years of natural selection led to the creation of the necessities of advanced civilization–agriculture, husbandry, pottery, medicine, metallurgy, trade, law, and money. States, as we consider them today, were conspicuously nonexistent.[1]
While some social stratification based on ability, function, or gender existed, on the whole, Neolithic societies were much more egalitarian than those found today. Most societies were centered around the family and the village, with some even looking down on excessive accumulation of wealth. Likely, there were wise elders or elites that emerged in each village based on reputation and respect, who adjudicated any possible disputes between community members; but they were not held to be a separate, superior class. The marvels of archaeological sites like Çatalhöyük, Abu Hureya, and Ain Ghazal in Ancient Mesopotamia are testaments to the success of voluntary relations and market exchanges. Based on the evidence found within these sites, it is accurate to say that human civilization predates the State by 4,000 years.
Some of the earliest States to be established were Arslantepe and Uruk, in the form of powerful cities dominating a surrounding hinterland. The “great” empires of old, Egypt, Babylon, and Assyria would model themselves on these Sumerian structures. Contrary to whatever fashionable methods are proposed today, a State can only arise through a very specific three-step process: through conquest, establishment of institutions, and ex post facto justification.
A brief overview of what “anarchocapitalism” means. Here’s a link to a more lengthy discussion of anarchism (in the anarchocapitalist mindset): http://ryansafner.com/essays/all-about-anarchism/ A brief overview of what “anarchocapitalism” means.
[My apologies for posting this very late. I had actually made and uploaded these videos to Youtube on January 2nd!
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Law, order, stability, trade, property-rights, writing, pottery, agriculture, these are all elements that we strongly associate with “civilization.” The mainstream paradigm that we are all taught in history is that the great ancient civilizations flourished because their leaders were “wise” and “virtuous” governors of their people. The great empires of old had constructed such wondrous public works, transportation systems, and law codes under the sage-like guidance of the imperial State.
But new empirical evidence, backed by libertarian economic theory shatters this paradigm. In fact, each and every one of these facets of civilization were developed naturally, through anarchic forces long before States. In fact, human civilization pre-dates the State by over 4,000 years. Let us investigate the fascinating truths uncovered about the Neolithic Revolution.[1]
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Every political ideology since the dawn of time has suffered from exaggerations and false impressions, either from a layman’s innocent confusion or through strategic deception by rival ideologies seeking to discredit it. Perhaps no political idea has ever been more falsely understood, so hopelessly marginalized, and so pretentiously reprimanded than that of anarchy.
“The two greatest obstacles to democracy in the United States are, first, the widespread delusion among the poor that we have a democracy, and second, the chronic terror among the rich, lest we get it.”
-Edward Dowling
At first glance it might seem like those are pretty radical things to say. “How could you possibly be against democracy? Why, that’s unAmerican!” But at closer inspection, we can see not only the fact that democracy isn’t all it’s trumped up to be, but also the inherent dangers of democracy.
We all “know” that America is a democracy, and most people believe that we ought to spread our version of democracy around the world. For some strange reason, whether it’s innocent ignorance or disingenuous deception, the word “democracy” has become synonymous with our system of government.
But We Are A Democracy, Right?
Think about it for a minute. What do you “pledge allegiance” to?
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
After all, following the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, a woman asked Benjamin Franklin what they had given us, to which he replied, “A republic madam, if you can keep it.” Not to mention, the Constitution of the United States explicitly states in Article IV, §4 that:
“The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.”
So the short answer is, no, we are not a democracy, our Founding Fathers gave us a republic. There are democratic elements in our republic as we shall see below, but we are a federal republic first and foremost. In fact, our founding fathers feared and loathed democracy.
