My
Stateless Neighbors:
The Amish
by
William L. Anderson
My
new home of western Maryland is a marked study in contrasts. Maryland,
as readers of this page already know, is considered to be a "progressive"
state, a one-party entity (Democratic) in which the legislature
can be counted upon at least once a year to pass yet another "tough
new law" that further restricts our freedoms. Whether it be
inane gun trigger locks, the "click it or ticket" seatbelt
statute, or "in our state, it is 0.8" (blood-alcohol levels
for driving), one can count on the Maryland House of Delegates to
let residents of the state know who is in charge around here.
My
northern neighbor, Pennsylvania, is a little better but not much
more so. Both states have revenue-hungry governments that are always
in search of new ways to pick someone’s pockets, and there are constant
reminders that Big Brother exists ostensibly to protect us from
ourselves. However, there is at least one group of people who manage
to live what in essence is a stateless existence: the Amish.
While
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is best known for its Amish contingent,
an ultra-conservative Mennonite sect that eschews modern conveniences
like electricity and automobiles, they also populate the westernmost
county in Maryland as well as other Pennsylvania counties located
on the Allegheny Plateau. Those of us who live nearby must always
look out for their black buggies when we are driving on roads in
those areas.
While there is inevitable mingling of the Amish and their "English"
neighbors (as they like to call us), this is a group of people who
as much as possible keep to their own. I certainly do not classify
them as unfriendly; indeed, I enjoy visiting with them whenever
I shop at a salvage store owned and operated by an Amish family.
There
is much to admire about the Amish, even though few of us would wish
to join their sect. While I may not worship at the shrine of modern
conveniences, I would also be loath to give them up for a house
with no electricity and a horse and buggy for transportation. (The
Amish are also practical, as they own and use tractors and other
mechanized equipment, including gas-powered weed eaters.)
Although
one can debate the merits of living a quasi-nineteenth century existence,
I would like to look at one aspect of the Amish, that being their
relative statelessness. Yes, they obey the laws of their states,
but there are exceptions. The Amish do not pay social security taxes,
and their children are educated only up to eighth grade, usually
in private Amish schools. (Most likely, they are better educated
leaving school after grade eight than many of their counterparts
who slog through 12 years or more in government schools.)
They
had to fight hard to win those exceptions, but when the U.S. Supreme
Court in 1972 ruled that the State of Wisconsin could not force
Amish students to go beyond eighth grade, that provided at least
some cushion between them and government. Furthermore, the Amish
are pacifists, which means they do not serve in the U.S. Armed Forces,
nor can they be conscripted into service.
Amish
do not vote, which means that when one drives in their areas at
election times, there are no ridiculous candidate signs in their
yards. (No, they do not place political bumper stickers on their
horse-drawn buggies. The only things they have are the state-required
orange triangles in the rear.)
In
fact, Amish do not talk politics at all. None of my many conversations
with them and their youngsters have been about politics or political
personalities. Instead, we speak of family and things we consider
to be important. To be frank, I would rather converse with the Amish
I have met than with many of the pseudo intellectuals who seem to
dominate media conversation these days. They might not be aware
of the state of French Marxism or the latest self-important inanities
from Sen. John McCain, but then I don’t much care what European
communists and American statists have to say either.
A
myth that permeates our society today is the falsehood that "responsible
citizenship" requires that one vote in elections and keep abreast
of political news. I know of no more responsible people than the
Amish, and no people who are less politicized. That does not mean
they do not stand up for their rights; a very conservative Amish
sect in nearby Cambria County, Pennsylvania, has unsuccessfully
fought to have a gray buggy triangle instead of the orange one the
state requires. As noted earlier, they have also used the courts
to establish their own educational practices and the ability to
stay out of the social security system. In other words, they use
the political system, but only to secure their rights, not to engage
in wealth transfers and other shenanigans that characterize the
modern American state.
There
are those who believe that the Amish should be more subject to the
state than they are. No doubt, many educational bureaucrats and
state social workers would relish the thought of taking Amish children
from their homes in order that they may be "exposed" to
wonderful things like AIDS "education" in government schools,
D.A.R.E., and MTV.
One
of the myths of the Amish is that they have "made socialism
work." While their strict Anabaptist version of Christianity
is communitarian in nature, that does not make them socialists.
First, Amish own their own property and businesses and are expected
to work hard to make a living. Second, theirs is a religious, not
socialistic community. Families are expected to care for others
when there is genuine need.
However,
people within the sect who do not work or are less than diligent
and honest in their dealings with others cannot expect the kind
of welfare state "compassion" from their brethren that
is available through government. Christian community, in the view
of the Amish, is something in which individuals are expected to
contribute to the well being of others.
Furthermore,
the Amish community is a voluntary society. Each child, when he
or she grows up, is given the choice of staying Amish or leaving
to live among the "English." Most people stay, but some
do leave and go onto other pursuits.
Whenever
I see an Amish horse and buggy or see them working in their fields
and gardens, I am reminded that it is possible for individuals to
live their lives without the "help" of the state. In this
age of limitless government, it is good to see at least some people
actually practicing a useful form of political anarchy.
July
22, 2002
William
L. Anderson, Ph.D. [send him
mail], teaches economics at Frostburg State University in Maryland,
and is an adjunct scholar of the Ludwig
von Mises Institute.
Copyright
© 2002 by LewRockwell.com
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