What is an AnarchObjectivist?

AnarchObjectivism

An AnarchObjectivist is one who accepts the fundamental principles of Ayn Rands philosophy, but rejects her advocacy of minarchism as inconsistent with those basic positions in metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics.

The contradiction between the Objectivist Ethics and minarchism

“The basic political principle of the Objectivist ethics is: no man may initiate the use of physical force against others. No man——or group or society or government—has the right to assume the role of a criminal and initiate the use of physical compulsion against any man. Men have the right to use physical force only in retaliation and only against those who initiate its use. The ethical principle involved is simple and clear-cut: it is the difference between murder and self-defense.” – Ayn Rand “The Objectivist Ethics” (emphasis added)

and

“A civilized society is one in which physical force is banned from human relationships—in which the government, acting as a policeman, may use force only in retaliation and only against those who initiate its use.” – Ayn Rand “Man’s Rights” (emphasis added)

Now, the problem arises when Miss Rand elaborates on the nature of government:

“a government holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force.” – Ayn Rand “America’s Persecuted Minority: Big Business” (emphasis in original)

If a government holds a legal monopoly on the retaliatory use of force, it necessarily initiates the use of force against those whom would seek to start businesses in the arbitration and defense services industries, as well as all those who seek to do business with such persons. If a defense service is not allowed to exist or operate, yet has not initiated the use of force against anyone, and only retaliates against those who have initiated the use of force, those individuals rights have been violated.

A government that holds a legal monopoly on the retaliatory use of force actually initiates the use of force against its citizens, which violates the basic political principle of the Objectivist ethics.

Best Case Scenario

If, under an Objectivist Minarchy, the government did allow competition in the fields of arbitration and defense services,market pressures would render the government obsolete. As such a government would be voluntarily funded (so as not to violate the basic principle), private firms, in a free market, would be able to provide services cheaper and more efficiently than a government could and so would put the government out of business, and lead to de facto anarcho-capitalism.

Resolving the Contradiction

In conclusion, AnarchObjectivists reject the coercive (at worst) and/or obsolete (at best) nature of the state in favor of Voluntaryist solutions to law, arbitration, dispute resolution, and defense

Food Safety in a Free Society

Food Safety in a Free Society.

A combination of factors would provide an expectation of a high degree of food safety in a free society.

Grow Your Own

For those who are competent enough agriculturally, growing your own food provides one method of ensuring a high level of food safety, as you can personally ensure that your standards are met. This method is the most basic of ensuring food safety (and availability), which can be utilized in conjunction with, or in the absence of, any of the others.

Trust

Another solution is doing business with local farmers (whose business practices you can personally inspect) for groceries. Farmers markets and the local butcher can provide a level of trust in the product, as long as you know the person to be ethical, given your knowledge of them. From this stand point, it would be valuable to get to know these people so that you can personally evaluate their business ethics.

Profit Motive and the Law of Constant Dealings

Negative experiences with a company decreases the likelihood of return business (it is cheaper to keep a customer than gain a new one from a marketing perspective, in addition to the lost revenue from lost sales) and referrals (word of mouth [experience/reputation based] advertising is the cheapest and most effective). Because of this companies would find it in their interest to provide their customers with valuable products, not selling diseased, rotted, contaminated, or otherwise undesirable food.

Referrals

A person can ask trusted (trustworthy) friends and family and those whose opinions you value (IE you think they know what they are talking about through experience with them, personally) about good places to shop and eat.

Private Food Industry Associations

Private Food Industry Associations are organized to promote certain standards in food safety practices. Industry professionals set standards and enforce inspections (Either by inspectors hired directly by the association or by contracting with independent private inspectors.) to promote compliance with those standards as a condition of membership. Consumers will look for businesses affiliated with such associations as a guarantee of quality, which gives the company financial incentive to be a member of a respectable association, and therefore abide by its standards.

Standards Set by the Free Market

Consumers are able to vote for standards for food safety (whether promoted by an association or individual) with what they choose to purchase, and so food safety standards will be determined by the free market as associations seek to provide standards that will gain them the largest market share. Competition between these will also provide an expectation of a high degree of value from their service.

Consumer Reports Magazines

Professionals will review establishments and specific products, and sell those opinions to consumers as they do currently on sites such as consumerreports.org. Again, Competition between these will provide an expectation of a high level of value (within different price ranges, lifestyles, standards, etc) from their service.

Consumer Opinion Websites.

Aggregated consumer opinion sites like Yelp.com provide another avenue for evaluating and rating food merchants, where consumer experiences are cataloged and shared.

Other Organizations

An organization such as the Better Business Bureau does a more general kind of rating that examines the basic business practices of a company, including the company’s response to customer complaints (resolved, unresolved, etc), the number of complaints received over a given period of time (as the quality of a venue can change over time, for better or worse). Membership in such an organization is dependent on maintaining an acceptable (according to the bylaws of the association) level of consumer complaints. Non-membership doesn’t mean that a business will not be evaluated by the organization.

If Something Goes Wrong

In the event that a customer is sold a poor product, they can expect to be compensated. This fact will further ensure that companies will seek to provide a high standard of service and offer to resolve disputes internally, as many companies do through return policies.

Property Rights

Since purchasing is essentially a transfer of title of ownership, if I buy a what I think is a disease free ham, I receive the title of ownership of that ham. However, if I, in fact, receive a diseased ham, I am still owed the ham I have the title to; a non-diseased ham. Therefore, I would have the right to the healthy ham, and if the grocer is not cooperative, I am likely to win in arbitration. (knowledge of which is likely to influence the grocers decision to cooperate.)

Medical Bills

The offending company would also be liable for medical expenses. If I pay out of pocket for healthcare, I should be reimbursed by the company. Any dispute would be handled by a Dispute resolution organization and arbitration.

Another option is that any medical costs incurred by the diseased ham would be paid for by my health insurance provider, who could then seek compensation on my behalf.

Crimes of the American Regime

The United States Government has imposed laws abridging the right to free trade beginning with the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and has misinterpreted the commerce clause to justify intruding into every economic decision made by Americans.

The United States Government has legalized the initiation of force to steal the wealth of its citizens via taxation, imposing a graduated scale of taxation which penalizes ability, effort and ambition.

Acting in accordance with the communist principle “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” the United States Government has used that stolen income to support ‘entitlement‘ programs such as welfare, unemployment insurance, social security, medicaid, housing subsidies, and food stamps.

The United States Government has forced its citizen to financially support and attend a government education system.

The United States Government has sacrificed the lives of its soldiers, not in defense of this nation, but in humanitarian and ‘nation-building‘ missions.

The United States Government has in the past imposed conscription on its citizens and to this day reserves the option to do so.

The United States Government has nationalized roads, transportation, electricity, water, and sewage.

The United States Government has stolen property from its citizens through abuses of eminent domain; thereby seizing millions of acres of its citizens’ land.

The United States Government has violated the second Amendment of its constitution by restricting the ownership of arms, and by allowing the states and localities to do so, and has jailed and massacred people who have stood on their rights as recognized in that Amendment.

The United States Government has perpetrated massacres of its own citizens, most notably at Kent State, Ruby Ridge and Waco, Texas.

The United States Government has imposed laws regulating private issues such as drug use, prostitution, seat belt and helmet laws; and where unable to pass such laws directly has browbeat the state governments into doing so, in an egregious violation of federalism.

The United States Government has imposed further regulations barring private issues among its Service Members, to include homosexual conduct, adultery, and sodomy.

The United States Government has made laws respecting the establishment of a religion by establishing as a national motto “In God We Trust” and placing it on currency, by including the words “Under God” in the official pledge of allegiance, by maintaining a chaplain program in the armed forces, and by funding the ‘faith-based initiates.’

The United States Government has imposed laws restricting medical operations, including some abortions, has regulated other forms of medical care, and has imposed price fixing on healthcare providers in the form of the Medicare program.

The United States Government has nationalized healthcare.

The United States Government has violated the first amendment of its own Constitution by imposing censorship on its citizens with indecency laws and the work of the Federal Communications Commission.

The United States Government has perpetrated the use of warrantless wiretapping against its own citizens.

The United States Government has ‘indefinitely detained‘ its own citizens without charges or trials.

The United States Government has operated secret prisons outside of its own borders, for the purposes of circumventing its own laws.

The United States Government has imposed laws restricting assisted-suicide and suicide.

The United States Government has executed its own citizens without trial.

The United States Government has abolished private property with the imposition of a ‘property tax.‘

The United States Government has abolished the right to start a business by requiring permits and associated pay offs.

The United States Government has established a swarm of regulatory agency’s to harass its people and eat out their substance, to wit:

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE)
Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC)
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
Employment Standards Administration (ESA)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Farm Credit Administration (FCA)
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Federal Deposit Insurance Commission (FDIC)
Food and Drug Administation (FDA)
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EREN)
Federal Highway Administration (FHA)
Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
Transportation Security Administration
Federal Trade Commission
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Securities and Exchange Commission