No State = Freedom & Prosperity

A number of years back some very interesting information became available to me through a small book called Letters To Jessica written by a man who resided in Idaho, named Robert Bissett. After reading the book (which was written to a young niece of his), I decided since it wasn’t in print anymore at the time to post it on the Internet. This book has got to be one of the most influential books in my life that I have ever read. And imagine, it was written to an elementary school student in 1987! I would highly recommend that every home-schooled boy or girl read this book, for that matter I would highly recommend that EVERYONE read this book.

While reading the book, I found out that there were other times in history where western man lived in harmony with one another without man’s government. And anyone who is familiar with the Holy Bible can recall that at one time the nation of Israel lived together in relative harmony without man’s government too.

Here are some points of interest from the book “Letters to Jessica”…

Most folks believe that total chaos (which is what most think is the common definition of anarchy) would reign if there were no man-made governments. Is it true? Here is what was said in A Proclamation of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, January 23rd, 1776, after the Colonist found out it was just fine not to have other men ruling them:

“No effectual resistance to the system of tyranny prepared for us could be made without either instant recourse to arms, or a temporary suspension of the ordinary powers of government, and tribunals of justice: To the last of which evils, in hopes of a speedy reconciliation with Great-Britain, upon equitable terms, the Congress advised us to submit: And mankind has seen a phenomenon, without example in the political world, a large and populous colony, subsisting in great decency and order, for more than a year, under such suspension of government.”

Thomas Paine, one of the intellectuals behind the American Revolution had this to say in his booklet The Rights Of Man:

“Great part of that order which reigns among mankind is not the effect of government. It had its origin in the principles of society and the natural constitution of man. It existed prior to government, and would exist if the formality of government was abolished. The mutual dependence and reciprocal interest which man has upon man, and all parts of civilized community upon each other, create the great chain of connection which holds it together. The landholder, the farmer, the manufacturer, the merchant, the tradesman, and every occupation, prospers by the aid which each receives from the other, and from the whole. Common interest regulates their concerns, and forms their laws; and the laws which common usage ordains, have a greater influence than the laws of government. In fine, society performs for itself almost everything which is ascribed to government.

“If we examine, with attention, into the composition and constitution of man, the diversity of his wants, and the diversity of talents in different men for reciprocally accommodating the wants of each other, his propensity to society, and consequently to preserve the advantages resulting from it, we shall easily discover that a great part of what is called government is mere imposition.

“Government is no farther necessary than to supply the few cases to which society and civilization are not conveniently competent; and instances are not wanting to show, that everything which government can usefully add thereto, has been performed by the common consent of society, without government.

“For upward of two years from the commencement of the American War, and to a longer period in several of the America states, there were no established forms of government. The old governments had been abolished, and the country was too much occupied in defense, to employ its attention in establishing new governments; yet during this interval, order and harmony were preserved as inviolate as in any country in Europe.

“There is a natural aptness in man, and more so in society, because it embraces a greater variety of abilities and resources, to accommodate itself to whatever situation it is in. The instant formal government is abolished, society begins to act. A general association takes place, and common interest produces common security.

“So far is it from being true, as has been pretended, that the abolition of any formal government is the dissolution of society, that it acts by an contrary impulse, and brings the latter the closer together. All that part of its organization which it had committed to its government, devolves again upon itself, and acts through its medium.

“When men, as well from natural instinct, as from reciprocal benefits, have habituated themselves to social and civilized life, there is always enough of its principles in practice to carry them through any changes they may find necessary or convenient to make in their government. In short, man is so naturally a creature of society, that it is almost impossible to put him out of it.

“Formal government makes but a small part of civilized life; and when even the best that human wisdom can devise is established, it is a thing more in name and idea, than in fact. It is to the great and fundamental principles of society and civilization – to the common usage universally consented to, and mutually and reciprocally maintained – to the unceasing circulation of interest, which, passing through its million channels, invigorates the whole mass of civilized man – it is to these things, infinitely more than to anything which even the best instituted government can perform, that the safety and prosperity of the individual and the whole depends.

“…governments, so far from being always the cause or means of order, are often the destruction of it.”

Then there was David Ramsey who wrote in Prelude to the American Revolution, 1765–1775, the section titled Massachusetts Provincial Congress:

“Throughout this whole season, civil government, legislation, judicial proceedings, and commercial regulations were in Massachusetts, to all appearances, annihilated. The provincial congress exercised all the semblance of government which existed. From their coincidence, with the prevailing disposition of the people, their resolutions had the weight and efficacy of laws. Under the simple style of recommendations, they organized the militia, and made ordinances respecting public monies, and such further regulation as were necessary for preserving order, and for defending themselves against the British troops.”

“In this crisis, it seemed to be the sense of the inhabitants of Massachusetts to wait events. They dreaded every evil, that could flow from resistance, less than the operation of the late acts of parliament; but, at the same time, were averse to be the aggressors, in bringing on a civil war. They chose to submit to a suspension of regular government, in preference to permitting the streams of justice to flow in a channel, prescribed by the late acts of parliament, or to conducting them forcibly in the old one, sanctioned by their charter. From the extinction of the old, and the rejection of the new constitution, all regular government was, for several months abolished. Some hundred thousands of people were in a state of nature, without legislation, magistrates or executive officers. There was, nevertheless, a surprising degree of order. Men of the purest morals were among the most active opposers of Great Britain. While municipal laws ceased to operate, the laws of reason, morality, and religion, bound the people to each other as a social band, and preserved as great a degree of decorum, as had at any time prevailed.”

See if your government school history teacher even KNOWS about this time of history!

Robert goes on to state this:

“The law of reason is the same as the law of nature. The laws of morality and religion mean the same as the revealed law found in the Bible. God is the source of both the natural and the revealed law. When men are living under God’s law they are living in God’s Kingdom. This is the meaning of the law of nature and of nature’s God that we see in the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson. God’s law is the basis for the American idea of government and the legal justification for American independence from Britain. See if you can find this period of American history, when all human government was abolished on the scale of government.”

God’s Rule = (Natural and Revealed Law) or Man’s rule = (Man’s Law)

This is why I am completely convinced that we can do away with man-made government and let the freedom that ensues for us to pursue our capabilities to their fullest extent take us to the stars. As long as we allow men to stifle our abilities and productiveness, we will have bondage and slavery. If we can shake this yoke from our necks and keep it that way, the free market will dictate all of the current “services” that those that are working for the state currently “try” to supply.

Do you think?

October 9, 2004