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Protection Implies Submission
by Paul Bonneau
2 -dot- paulbx1 -at- dfgh -dot- net

Attribute to The Libertarian Enterprise

One of the very first and most fundamental bennies the budding state promises us is protection, and virtually everybody is a sucker for that appeal. Many libertarians even fall for it, claiming that a legitimate role of government is protecting our rights, or protecting us from mala in se criminal action. They don't understand, for some reason, that protection requires one's submission; and the state is sure to keep that under wraps.

Even free market protection services require submission. If you hire a bodyguard, you have to adjust your behavior to suit his concerns for your safety. If you don't, you are not letting him do the job you hired him for. But there is a crucial point here: if it gets too irritating for you, you can always fire him!

The state does not allow us to fire our protectors. This means submission is part of the package, whether we like it or not. Whenever the state makes a case for protecting you, what you need to do is get into the habit of substituting the word "submission" for the word "protection", or "submit" for "protect". Then see what you feel about it.

Some may be doubtful at this point; but think about it. When a sheepdog takes care of sheep, he will nip the heels of any that strays too far from the herd. And rightly so; that is his job! The sheep never get to nip the heels of the sheepdog. There is simply no way that protection can be offered by others without being accompanied by submission to their will.

This is the whole rationale behind things like gun control, or the War on Some Drugs. They impose things on us, not to be mean, but because that's implied in protection. We must submit. If we don't want to submit, that means we don't want them protecting us!

Well, what about old-fashioned vigilance committees?

These are not the same thing, because each individual, as well as being a "protectee", is also a protector. But it is true that any people who are protected by the vigilance committee without being a member of it, will have to submit to it.

Want protection? Protect yourself and your own, or join vigilance committees to do the same thing, or submit. Those are your only choices.

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