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RE: The paradox of being “anti-capitalist” in a capitalist society
I hope I didn’t paint ancaps as being selfish, that wasn’t my intention, but I do think the concept of “mine” runs thicker with such a focus on personal property. Though I certainly would have a mindset of “mine” if someone tried to force me to share at gunpoint when I was just doing my thing.
I think sharing should be encouraged by all means and never forced by the state, but where we may (or may not) differ is that i believe if there are 8 people and 1 guy takes 7 slices of pizza, even by “legitimate” means, he’s an asshole and I wouldn’t defend him or his right to private property if the other 7 tried to get their pizza back.
That'd depend on what they agreed on before they ordered the pizza.
You certainly shouldn't be compelled to defend him (unless you've previously agreed to).
We're just as much about consent as we are about private property (since you own yourself its kind of the same thing).
That respect for consent extends to people consenting to bad deals; like the guy who sells his grandmother's old wedding ring for a hit of heroin.
He's an arsehole I wouldn't want to associate with; but assuming the ring is his, the transaction is between him and his dealer.
Nobody else's business.
I’m ok with the idea of self ownership as a practical understanding and if you think it’s best to organize society according to this idea, I can really respect that. I can only see it as a practical understanding though, an attempt to create some kind of social order. I can’t see any fundamental truth in the idea of self ownership, as in my eyes ownership is a human concept that doesn’t exist in nature. I can certainly agree with it more than any idea that the state owns me or my work.
As to ancaps being selfish; I can certainly appreciate where that idea comes from.
We believe that debts can only be accrued deliberately.
If we agree that I take your car today and pay you $10,000 a week from now, that's a legitimate debt.
If you imagine that I owe a percentage of my income to support the poor, but I haven't agreed to that, I'm going to make a point of
avoiding paying; and you're going to consider me selfish.
If I claimed that others should be taxed, but not me; that would be selfish.
Ironically, many taxation cheerleaders get more in welfare than they pay in tax; making them selfish by that definition.