Sunday, September 21, 2014

Rothbards Spot on Description of our Sovereign State


Rothbards essay "Anatomy of the State" describes what a state is, how the state preserves itself, how the state transcends its limits, what the state fears, and how the states relate to one another. As I was reading, it was impossible not to relate the negative marks of the state Rothbart describes to that of our own U.S. government. Just beginning to read the essay Rothbard is clear of his opinion of the state as it relates to the free market. "The "political means" siphons production off to a parasitic and destructive individual or group; and this siphoning not only subtracts from the number producing, but also lowers the producer's incentive to produce beyond his own subsistence." He is describing a system that is worse off because of the states interference.

Once into the meat of the essay Rothbard describes that a state is "the organization of the political means." "that provides a "legal, orderly, systemic channel for the preditation of private property." This system seems a difficult pill to swallow so why would anyone fall under it? This is where I found the essay to be most interesting, the descriptions of how states convince people to allow them to continue holding power as stated "the chief task of the rulers is always to secure the active or resigned acceptance of the majority of the citizens." I can see the parallels in our own government of the devices used to maintain power. One idea that struck home with me was that "the identification of that land and its people with the State was a means of making natural patriotism work to the State's advantage." Nationalism has been extremely prevalent in our country particularly in times of stress and war. It can be seen with the propaganda put out during war as well as in the media of times such as the red scare. Nationalism is part of our culture and while now it may be seen as some what of a joke (Merica') it is still prevalent good or bad. You can see the legitimacy that the state gives itself when using the constitution as backbone to whatever ruling happens. "For if a judicial decree of "unconstitutional" is a mighty check to government power, an implicit or explicit verdict of "constitutional" is a mighty weapon for fostering public acceptance of ever-greater government power." 

Regardless of what else in in place Rothbards description of the state and how it controls it's people is eerily similar to what is happening now.

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