Statism is the belief that governing others is a legitimate human endeavor.
One who justifies or excuses aggression and/or property violation (archation) when done in the name of political government (The State) is a statist.
Statism assumes the State to occupy a position superior to the individual; in other words, government-supremacism.
If this is what you believe, you shouldn't consider the word an insult, although I would find it insulting to be considered one.
If this position describes you, why be upset about it? Unless you feel you are wrong......
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Hmm. Can't you conceive of a form of government that would be consensual?
ReplyDeleteIf there is such an entity, albeit theoretical, would it be necessarily statist?
If it were consensual it would lack some features of government (as generally defined). Government (other than self-government/self control) is imposed on people (you can't opt out without fleeing the area), and is almost always financed with theft, and demands a monopoly on force in a given area. Show me a voluntary organization that lacks those features and I wouldn't consider it "government", and I probably wouldn't oppose it since I'd be free to opt out if it did things I didn't approve of.
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