I was an AnCap-Libertarian for a very long time, that's how I got into Bitcoin originally... I still believe in the non-agression-principle and it informs my view on all things

With age and wisdom however, I've learned that reality doesn't care much about your ideals, and that change must be iterative because what came before you exists for a reason (even if that reasoning is unpleasant)

Nomenclature as to what defines the state, aggression, and rights is usually the point of contention.

I don't think anyone denies "there's always someone tougher than you", and it's only if you disagree with that fact can you honestly believe in a state-less society.

For reasonable people that acknowledge there's always someone tougher than you, this is tacit admission that there is always an apex force that is, in a given geography, the most capable at killing people and breaking things.

We can never be rid of that apex force and coercion, so at the end of the day all we're debating is how to best manage that risk and what we're calling it.

The state is