How do we change people's minds about victimless crimes?

in #anarchy8 years ago (edited)


I know many of us get frustrated when trying to convey to family and friends and even acquaintances the message about government coercion and especially policing. 


It's obvious that if we immediately start talking about the dissolution of the state and the idea of choosing protection provisions on the market, that most will look at us like we have 3 heads. 


It seems like the best approach is to pick their brain about how they feel about victimless crimes and possible moral contradictions that they might have. 


People get very defensive when it comes to law enforcement. Ask them what if the only laws that existed that cops had to enforce were ones that specifically protected life, liberty and property against violence, aggression, theft and slavery? Would see a huge multitude of these problems disintegrate? 


A victim constitutes a crime. Aggression, or an act of violence or theft. (Rape, murder, assault, robbery, kidnapping etc.)


People are so hung up on black versus white versus cop that they completely fail to see the root of the problem-how utterly ridiculous it is that the state has delegated the right to police to stop and detain people, search them, possibly seize their property , ask 10 million questions about where they're going and where they've been and what they're doing and then try to extort them in the form of fines, or arrest them for possessing a plant, when they've harmed no one.


What legitimate authority does the state have to do these things to people who have committed no crime? And if you don't believe you should be unlawfully searched and detained, if you speak back angrily, or refuse to "comply" they have the right to kill you? How does that make sense? Is this the world we live in? 


If your answer is still you need to just SHUTUP and COMPLY, no matter how unjust the situation, you're not paying attention. 


If you can eventually get these basic concepts through, maybe there's a chance of delving into why tax funded state monopolization of these services is inherently wrong. But that's for another time.


Small steps.



Sort:  

There's a lot of debate on what is considered victimless. Yes, if you don't wear your seatbelt for example, the only one possible hurt is you. Not making your child wear a seatbelt is different. The child is a victim if an accident occurs.

Urination and defecation in public by many is considered a victimless crime, but unsanitary conditions promote the spread of disease. There just isn't an immediately identifiable victim.

Now here is one I agree with: There is a state law against U-turns anywhere. I can see that one as victimless. Unless you cause an accident and kill someone else because you made a U-turn at the top of a blind hill. But there are remedies for that, no U-turn signs.

I see part of the problem is defining what is victimless.

The child seatbelt issue is a good point, and I think ultimately though it comes down to whether or not an injured party ends arising.

The main issue with the myriad of ridiculous laws that cops enforce is that it gives the state the power to decide certain things you may or may not do, under the guise of public safety and preventive measures, even if the only person you may be harming is yourself, as you stated with the seatbelt thing. And because of this beauracracy what usually ends up happening is nonviolent people are apprehended in very violent ways, and are now deemed criminal by the state because of preemptive policing that may or may not actually prevent a crime. Not to mention the ridiculousness of making us pay with taxes to house nonviolent people in prison, if they end up there.

I think things like public urination or defecation could still easily be addressed in a free society with strict private property rights as a violation of private property. Ultimately though it would be up to the property owner as to how they'd choose to deal with that.

Just some food for thought!