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Books/StateSocialismAndAnarchism

This might seem to be an odd link to include in the Voluntaryist wiki, so a word of explanation is perhaps called for. First, the excerpt is an excellent counter and demonstration of the evils of state socialism: it shows it up for the force-backed controlling monopoly slave-state it is. And pointing this out, yet again, can be helpful to some statist that might take it better coming from Tucker than, say, Rothbard (yes; it would be appeal to authority, but if it leads another person to voluntaryism, their error may be forgiven them and they have taken in no-one but themselves).

  • First, then, State Socialism, which may be described as the doctrine that all the affairs of men should be managed by the government, regardless of individual choice.

Next, it begins well, at least, with an examination of anarchism, which, again, might be more palatable coming from someone claimed by the "left" (but see McElroy's A Common Dispute With Left Anarchists):

  • This brings us to Anarchism, which may be described as the doctrine that all the affairs of men should be managed by individuals or voluntary associations, and that the State should be abolished.

As far as that goes, he's described something entirely compatible with, and even equal to, voluntaryism. He points out that Marx's separation of product and capital was an erroneous distinction (and that product and capital are roles, not fixed attributes). He advocates for not only a free market in labor, but in currency (as, apparently, the "Manchester" doctrine did not)—also voluntaryist. He rightly rails against tariffs and patents; and against ''government-backed'' land monopoly.

Benjamin Tucker's State Socialism and Anarchism, is, then, a just fit among voluntaryist literature.