People in positions of power who create, implement, and enforce rules, restrictions, and laws tend to abuse their privilege by taking advantage of the public. What usually happens when the government – or the state – is in bed with corporations, is a descent into fascism. From pharaohs, emperors, and monarchs to contemporary governments, each has tended to impose arbitrary laws that were and still are to the detriment of the civil liberties, rights and values of the general population. Demand that people tow the line, or else face serious consequences if they break the law.
The irony is that the rules, restrictions, and laws do not apply to those in power. The fact is that governments – along with multinational corporations – break environmental standards, violate labour laws, and impoverish the poor. Thousands of people die every year due to medical and prescription malpractice alone. These are just to name a few of the forms of abuse. Yet those that hold power and authority are rarely held accountable, nor brought to justice.
Governments, and indeed most people holding positions of authority, tend to repudiate and condemn anarchy as being a lawless system, calling it “savagery,” or “the law of the jungle.” I would venture to say that the institutions that control and run the system are a classic example of what is being denounced as “anarchy.” Absolutely no one should have absolute power or control over a fellow human being, regardless of whether it is a government body, corporate body, or any high-level institution. Unfortunately, it is a sad case of affairs that the state has a complete monopoly of the means of legitimate violence in all affairs pertaining to our lives. When the state is dissolved, then and only then can we as a collective, cooperative society share the balance of power with regards to social justice, personal health, and personal responsibility. This form of self-government would bring about a fair, universal, and impartial order.