What if we abandon the word “anarchy” to the communists and socialists? It’s not like the word hasn’t got a lot of baggage, between the communists on one side, and the belief that it would lead to “chaos” on the other. Why not just let the communists and socialists duke it out among themselves, if they’re so smart?
There is a similar word – autarchy – which places emphasis on self-government, self-rule. It isn’t contaminated by the long tradition of socialists who wish to dispense with property.
Here is a longish article which offers a lot of history, and reasons to take this path.
I should mention a bit of linguistic confusion. Apparently some dictionaries treat “autarchy” and “autarky” as synonyms. The latter is the notion that a nation should be self-sufficient; it is quite the opposite of individuals governing themselves. In times past, it was called “mercantilism,” or “the national interest,” as in “we need oil, therefore we will guarantee supplies by taking or controlling them via the use of force.”
I’ve got a very important question: what should the symbol for autarchy look like?
papalibertarian 
Reblogged this on Brian By Experience and commented:
I would still use the black flag. How about you?
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I would still used the black flag of Anarchy. I mean it basically stands for the same thing. 🙂
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Eh, trying to establish a separation, on the grounds that the “black flag” alone is too often associated with commies and bomb throwers.
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Lets hijack it back. 🙂
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I don’t know if I like autarchy. “rule” implies the initiation of aggression, or coercion. I’m not in favor of coercing myself.. that doesn’t seem like a good approach to the self. I get what is meant by LeFevre, but I’m not sure this is an appropriate term.
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I think you are reading too much into the concept of self-rule. Either you make decisions for yourself, or somebody else does, or you move aimlessly like a tumbleweed. Unless one is a masochist, one does not coerce oneself; one merely decides. This is self-governance.
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“Self-governance” I like. He mentions that he first looked at autocracy, but then decided it, too, has been corrupted. Splitting hairs is a favorite pastime of mine…
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