Libertarianism is not 'hypothetical'
A "statist" is one who believes that "government" is a legitimate human endeavor. It is a subset of authoritarian who uses the state to impose their authority upon others. One way statists and other authoritarians try to end a debate with a libertarian is to throw up the old "I live in the REAL world, not your hypothetical one" argument. Balderdash.
I assume it is supposed to end the debate right there, and maybe it has worked for them in the past if the only people they have debated are libertarians who are unsure of themselves. It won't work with me. I don't live an a "hypothetical world". I know what works. I know what doesn't. Plus, I see what the authoritarians seem to be afraid of: the failure and subsequent crumbling of their philosophy.
I have never run into a real-world situation where the Zero Aggression Principle failed. I have run into some situations where my human nature would have preferred the short-term satisfaction of violating the ZAP, but to do so would have been wrong, and probably destructive in the long-run. I have never found a situation where a government "solution" is really better than a freedom-respecting solution. Sure, it might be easier to pay for expensive things by stealing the resources, but it is never right. Not if I do it on my own; not if I hire thugs ("elect politicians") to do it for me.
Statism is a failed system. It may not look like it, since it infests the entire globe right at this moment. At one time, you could have said the same about the dinosaurs. We are witnessing the violent convulsions of a terminally ill system. It will get worse before it gets better.
