Fallacy:
Anarchy has never been tried successfully, so that proves that the state is necessary.
Response:
Many statists demand that anarchists show a successfully anarchic society before they will even consider that life without a state is even possible, let alone desireable. There are two problems with this fallacy:
- The argument against statism isn't a consequentialist argument, but a moral argument. No one has the right to rule anyone else. It would be like arguing that a slavery-free society is impossible because there are no successful slavery-free societies.
- It is completely untrue that anarchy has never been tried and was never successful. To back up this claim, I refer you to Daniel Hawkins' excellent series, appropriately named "Anarchy: Never Been Tried," in six parts:
Anarchy Never Been Tried
http://www.notbeinggoverned.com/anarchy-never-been-tried-part-i/
http://www.notbeinggoverned.com/anarchy-never-been-tried-part-ii-emerald-anarchy/
http://www.notbeinggoverned.com/anarchy-never-tried-part-3-fire-ice/
http://www.notbeinggoverned.com/anarchy-never-been-tried-part-v-anarchy-in-the-usa/
http://www.notbeinggoverned.com/anarchy-never-tried-part-vi-living-anti-nation/