Before You Read This Some of the ideas presented in this pamphlet may shock you.

Even if you disagree with the things presented herein, continue reading. This is designed to be an educational introduction to a philosophy you may have misunderstood or never even heard of. What is Anarchism? Anarchism is an ethical philosophy that states that no person has the right to perform violence or steal from any other person. We apply this idea to all levels of society, and our beliefs inevitably fall into the realm of the political. We believe that governments are inherently dangerous, corrupt, violent, thieving, and fraudulent. For us, it is not a matter of how much taxation (theft) should be appropriate, nor how large the military and police force (violence) must be, nor how many laws should be passed, or for what purpose. It matters not who is in government, because all governments tell us that they have the ability to tell us how to live our lives. It matters not which social services must be provided by money obtained through this theft. The entire system is built upon the government creating rules for us, and creating exemptions for itself. For this reason, we have been attacked and misconstrued by the media in a massive misinformation campaign. Anarchists have been characterized in the media as violent people, bent on creating chaos and disorder. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are peaceful people that are interested in debunking the supposed virtues of government and restoring our world to peace and prosperity for ALL people.

Taxation is Theft We see the state as a system of slave ownership, upon which there two classes of people, the plundering class which steals, and the plundered class that has their property stolen. Can you imagine your neighbor visiting your house one a year and demanding, at gunpoint, 15% of the money you earned that year? He promises to keep you and everybody else in your neighborhood safe with that gun, but if you dont pay, he will put you in his basement for a few years. Of course, your neighbor may also provide certain services that are helpful to your community, such as a welfare system and health care for everybody, but it is immaterial in our eyes. He acquired the money to pay for those services through theft, and therefore it is not an ethical proposition. This is the basic manner of the governments operations. We anarchists refer to this as the mafia model of government, and comparing it to the mafia is very close to reality. Mafia demands tribute, and if you dont pay, your property will be taken from you or violence perpetrated on you. Taxation is no better than a legalized form of mugging. We are told to pay money or face imprisonment, which is basically legalized kidnapping. If we resist the kidnapping, the government will kill us. If anybody acted towards another person in the manner the government acts towards us, that person would be cast out of the society, or worse. Granted, our government is better and more libertyminded than other governments, but a slave owner that beats his slave once a week is not morally superior to a slave owner that beats his slave every day.

Violence is Wrong! We anarchists would say that NO government was ever installed to protect the rights of the people, because people have natural rights. Governments are in place to restrict the rights of people by establishing the rights that are "allowed" under their system. No matter the style, they all still tax, which is a violation of property rights. They still have the authority to initiate violence through police and military, which is a violation of personal rights. In that regard, we see governments as inherently violent. All governments tell people what they can and cannot do, what they can and cannot purchase or put in their bodies, and what they can and cannot do with their property. That is a perfect example of slave ownership, wrapped in a patriotic flag. The Police are Not Your Friends No matter the level of protection provided by the police, if they have the ability to perform kidnap or perform violence a non-violent person, that is a breach of ethics and must be fought. This is not to say that individual police officers arent good people. Many of them are regular, hardworking people like yourselves. However, the system is based upon violence and even otherwise good people can turn violent, nasty, and mean. The stress of the situations they are put in only compounds the situation. Often, they lash out against unwitting people who just happen to question their actions. The same thing happens to many soldiers on the field of battle, hurting innocent people due to the traumatic experiences of their everyday lives.

Anarchism is the Final Form of Ethics As anarchists, we feel it is our obligation to call out perceived injustices and violence. If we see a mugging in the street, we feel obligated to bring the mugger to the attention of the people around us. In this pamphlet, I will try to explain how government is the problem, never the solution, by using ethical arguments to debunk all the supposed virtues of the state. Anarchism will take all of your preconceived notions about the goodness and justness of the state, and smash them by showing you how taxation is theft, police are violence, war is murder, and imprisonment is kidnapping. I encourage you to look at life with new eyes. WAR IS MURDER War is an atrocity. It is a gigantic chessboard with thousands of pawns protecting a single king. Why must the king need to be protected by the pawns that are forced to attack other pawns? If there is an argument between two kings, why must the pawns be the ones to fight their battle? Disagreements need to be settled by abolishing the military and putting an end to war. It is better to have two people work out their own disagreements than by forcing others to fight their battles for them. On top of that, there are countless innocent people, who wanted nothing to do with the disagreement, that are killed in the process. The state refers to it as collateral damage, but it is not collateral damage. It is large-scale murder. Governments have killed more innocent people than everybody else put together.

The Government Does Not Exist I know this claim may sound nonsensical, but hear me out for a minute. If I were to ask you to demonstrate the existence of government, what would you provide for me? You may show me a picture of the President, of congress, a police officer, the constitution, or a particular building that they meet in. These are not the government. Those are buildings, people, and paper that claim to represent the government. The state does not literally exist. The state is simply an idea. An idea imprinted through years of indoctrination that many people just blindly accept. Once you realize that the government is not a material thing, but a concept, it is easier to break away from it. To be free, one must live as though one is free. Stop consenting to be governed. Stop the cycle of abuse. Abolish all governments. About the Author My name is Mark Van Gelder. I am a 6-year Naval veteran who emerged from the military disgusted with the political system and the inherent violence of the state. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me on Facebook. I even love hearing from people who disagree with me. My email address is erbakh@subvertgov.com. My twitter feed is @subvertgov My blog is available at subvertgov.com. PEACE. LOVE. ANARCHISM.

An introduction to anarchism

Ethics in the Modern Age

Written by Mark Van Gelder