It's hard enough to convince people of the benefits of the free market, but when somebody suggests abolishing government altogether, it opens up a whole new can of worms. Myths about market anarchy are a lot like fiat currency; widely circulated, but of little value.
What anarchy is NOT
Real anarchy, no matter what other so-called anarchists might tell you, is not about destroying property, abolishing marriage, destroying religion, guerilla warfare, or stopping people from eating meat. Doing any of those things involves forcing your will on other people, which is the opposite of anarchy. So calm down, take a deep breath, and open your mind. You just might discover your inner anarchist!
The word anarchy
New Latin anarchia < Ancient Greek ἀναρχία (anarchía) < ἀν- (an-), “‘not’”), + ἀρχός (archos), “‘ruler, authority’”).
- From wiktionary
The concept of anarchy
The concept of anarchy begins with the concept of limited government, and the sovereignty of the individual. Those beliefs voice themselves with statements such as these:
" Patriotism means loyalty to your country at all times and your government only when it deserves it." Mark Twain
" The government which governs least, governs best."
" Dissent is the highest form a patriotism."
" The power to tax is the power to destroy."
These ideals are exceptionally American ones; some of these statements were spoken by our Founding Fathers. However, when the government refuses to abide by these standards, but instead invents its own; when government, rather then allowing progress to emerge from society naturally, attempts to impose social reforms on an unwilling populace; when special interests are fed at the expense of our economic liberty, and governmental fiat trumps the inviolability of property; when government uses force to protect its power and prestige; then it puts itself in a state of conflict with the free and the brave, and,
"it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, so as to them most likely to effect their safety and happiness". Declaration of Indepedence
A thought to ponder
"Christianity, with its doctrine of humility, of forgiveness, of love, is incompatible with the State, with its haughtiness, its violence, its punishment, its wars."
Leo_Tolstoy
Myth #1
If you abolish government, society will quickly collapse into violence and chaos.
Answer: The idea the law and order can exist only when they are forcibly imposed on a society is both flawed and dangerous. People who value their safety and their reputations typically do not cause to much trouble for others. We can surmise that if government suddenly disappeared, seemingly normal people would not suddenly turn to nudism and cannibalism as hobbies.
It is dangerous, because if it is true that people need the government to keep them from raising Cain, then the question logically arises: why should we have any freedoms at all? Why should we have freedom of speech , of the Fourth Amendment, or have the right to choose our leaders at the ballot box? Those are some uncomfortable questions. Mainstream sociologists assume that "we need government" and don't bother to explain why, but then they avoid the politically-incorrect conclusion that we need fascism. In other words, people who would go crazy with no government will be civilized with democratic institutions. That is obviously a hollow argument at best.
Myth #2
A society without the government could not stop criminals.
Answer: Firstly, there is something to be said for the role in privately-owned, civilian firearms in detering crime. "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms . . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes . . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." Cesare of Beccaria, 1738-1794
Secondly, it is an established fact that laws against prostitution and controlled substances promote the activities of criminal organizations through a lucrative black market. A laissez-faire society would have these victimless crimes, and would not have "the mob".
And finally, the free market would allocate police where they are most needed. Some people might pay to have their homes under 24-hour surveillance. Some people would insure their possessions against theft, and some would refuse to pay for any protective services at all.