The NAP, or “Non-Aggression Principle” (a name that would have George Orwell spinning in his grave) is part of the “anarcho”-capitalist strategy to privatize the state. The idea is that “aggression” is not to be tolerated, which is a noble-enough sentiment. The problem is that the definition of “aggression” would be left up to private courts to determine.

The private court system, as described by David Friedman, is a system specifically designed to ensure that the wealthiest minority get their way absolutely all the time, regardless of any factors. In it everybody “subscribes” to a court, legal code, and police force. If two people have a dispute then they have to decide whose they are going to use, and this is done by pitting your hired polices against one another. In the working person’s corner is dear old Bert, a lovely man but suffering from cataracts in both eyes and armed only with a water pistol and a list of strong adjectives. He’s not the best, he’s very cheap, and the best the working person can afford. In the wealthy person’s corner is Global Defense Initiatives Incorporated, a multi-billion dollar multi-national with an armory that would make the U.S. military tremble.

If dear-old Bert can take down Global Defense Initiatives Incorporated then the working man gets to choose the court and legal code. If, and I must stress that this is the more likely outcome, GDII wins the not-so-epic battle, then they decide. Of course, in nearly all cases the working person will just have to accept the choice of legal system before it comes to that, if only because they don’t have the heart to send poor old Bert to his inevitable demise.

Once the court has been chosen a decision can be made. The judge can choose to favour his client, the very rich person who pays their wages, or the opposition, a poor person who has nothing to offer them. “An”caps tell us that this will be alright because there will be competition. They don’t seem to realize that everybody will be competing for the money of those who have money, and nobody will be competing for the money of those who have none.

It is through that means that “an”caps intend to re-define “aggression” in much the same way the U.S. government has re-defined “terrorism”: if it is done by us or in our interests then it isn’t terrorism/aggression, but if it is done against us or our interests, it is.

And even if the impoverished person can find a court that is willing to find in their favour, they will have no funds with which to enforce the decision. “An”cap claims that police forces would voluntarily uphold the law for free sound more than just a little hollow. Would they really go up against a wealthy, powerful, and heavily protected person for no gain whatsoever?

The “Non-Aggression Principle”, therefore, is, as stated at the start, an Orwellian name for the complete ownership and control of the state by the wealthy minority. In “An”capland the law would be whatever the richest say it is, and the working classes will just have to accept or rebel. I favour the latter, is anyone with me?

Just for fun, here are some scenarios. See if you can guess which would be considered “aggression” in “An”capland and which wouldn’t:

A) Drinking water from a natural spring to quench your thirst. The spring is on privately-owned land.

B) Hanging, drawing, and quartering somebody you caught drinking from the natural spring on your land.

C) Selling your child into sex slavery.

D) Whipping a slave (you legally purchased the slave on the open market) for not doing enough work.

E) Hiring a police force to herd strikers into a confined area and opening fire on them.

F) Depriving people of any access to food and any means of acquiring food until they have no alternative but to accept a slavery contract.

That’s right, only (A) is considered “aggression” to “anarcho”-capitalists.