|
Abstract
|
Newhard (2017) recommends that anarcho-capitalist societies acquire nuclear weapons and adopt aggressive territorial-defense postures. It argues that the defense of anarchist territory will require escalation, preemption, and offensive operations targeting hostile states. It thus rejects the doctrine of dogmatic nonaggression that might arise out of a desire to extend the nonaggression principle (NAP) to enemies and others outside the private defense network. Below, I substantiate the necessity of ruthlessness in the defense of anarchist territory. In doing so, I describe a strategic doctrine of disproportionate force, modeled after Israeli doctrine, that I recommend private defense agencies adopt, given the likely decentralized and asymmetric character of their armed forces.
An anarchist society will face numerous disadvantages. It is likely to be small in size and population. A small territory means a lack of strategic depth. A small population means fewer soldiers and less output to allocate to defense, holding output per capita constant. Perhaps the society will see significant capital accumulation, enhancing productivity and providing sufficient funds to cover the large fixed costs of modern defense. Yet it is not certain that corporations will invest in stateless societies. The societies' survival will require that corporations do invest: the societies being relatively small, both the workforce and fighting force must be capital intensive. However, the most efficient substitute for soldiers and the most effective deterrent available to small nations is probably nuclear weapons. Additionally, an anarchist society may have to research and develop its own weapons, as Western defense contractors in particular may embargo them. Private defense agencies or their contractors must allocate costly weapons research to where they can maximize deterrence, and this likely means focusing on the development of nuclear weapons and appropriate delivery vehicles. Lastly, coordination costs may rise under the private provision of defense, especially if multiple agencies defend the same territory. The decentralized and asymmetric nature of stateless warfare will present challenges to be overcome.
Language: en |