“I am trying to figure out what Peaceful Anarchism would LOOK like here in the usa…. We have had a business since 1976…. But if we were young again… how would a family DO That?… Perhaps.. live off grid? Homebirth so no record of birth certificate?… if they get a birth certificate in a hospital birth … it would be hard to NOT get an S.S.# I would have to be an UNassisted homebirth because credentialed midwives report the birth. If you can avoid S.S.# barter and trade skills with others living off grid & under the radar? You would have to make money or bitcoin under the radar, right? So no taxable income? But what does Peaceful anarchy LIVING look like IN REAL LIFE? Maybe we can do it when my husband retires? Withdraw all savings, cash in all annuities take all retirement funds and just put that all under a mattress?”
I do not think it is necessary to live off grid and be entirely self-sufficient. Complete self-sufficiency, although it may be a worthy goal, is not entirely realistic. We all depend on each other for many things we cannot produce. That is not a bad thing. It just means that as civilization grows and becomes wealthier, more people can specialize and make money in their specialty. When that happens everyone benefits.
Agorism or counter economics is a worthy path as well. Raise your kids outside of the State. Conduct your business outside of the State. Transact outside of the State. Live your life outside of the State. Get your wealth out of fiat currency to the best of your ability. Invest in precious metals, such as physical gold and silver. Invest in crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin. Get to know and befriend your local farmers and small businesses. In this way we can starve the beast of our currency, attention, and participation. This is a thoroughly effective non-violent strategy to cripple and render impotent the power of the State. The stronger we can build and maintain community bonds, the weaker and more obsolete the State becomes. It only grows in size and power when there is division, infighting, bickering, and malcontent. In loving our neighbor to the fullest we can build a future based on purely voluntary interaction and respect for property.
It is never too late to attempt to live as an Anarchist or Voluntaryist. One need not wait until a truly voluntary society is realized. One can embody Peaceful Anarchism right now. Do not acknowledge the State, to the best of your ability. Live your life with gentleness, kindness, compassion, and love. Live your life according to your principles. Treat others with respect regardless of race, gender, creed, religious belief, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background. Perform random acts of kindness wherever you can, whenever you can. Be generous with loving and appreciative words. Do not self-censor or hesitate in expressing your compassion. The future is not guaranteed or secured to anyone. The present is a gift. Appreciate life while you have it. It is a privilege afforded to few.
Being a Voluntaryist is not about exiting society or withdrawing from friends and family. It is about being very much a part of it. One of the greatest non sequitur fallacies is that society or civilization will collapse if not for the omniscience of the State. A proper perspective must be cultivated between the parasitic class and the industrious. It is the parasites that fundamentally depend on the industrious for their very existence. Through siphoning off small portions of the productivity of the industrious, the parasites grow fat and decadent. The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper names.
You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.
Mahatma Gandhi
