10A102 Borders to a ZGS by Jim Davies, 12/15/2010    

The fantastic mess governments have made of travel, which seems to worsen by the week as their employees can now literally grope any part of a traveler's body they wish, without a shred of suspicion of wrongdoing, suggests the question: what about borders, in a zero government society? - and what about immigration; could anyone enter it from anywhere without restriction, and if so what would save it from malefactors like the Stockholm Bomber?

Passports, let it be remembered, are a modern invention. It seems one of the last Tsars of Imperial Russia required them at the end of the 1800s, and with the stimulus of WW-I they rapidly became popular among the world's governments. A wonderful tool of control, which is how they get their kicks. Would a ZGS issue passports? Require them, of visitors?

The answer is no, for a ZGS would have nobody paid or authorized to issue or examine passports. Would it have a border? - again, no, as such. There would be borders around every lot of property, which would be owned by somebody - real people - and if those ownership limits happened to face an area claimed by some foreign government (eg Mexico) then one could join them up on a map and say that there was a border; but it would only be a line, it would not make up a national border with border police, for there would be no nation.

So what would stop malefactors entering and disrupting the peace? - motive. We have to consider what possible motive they might have. Taimour Abdulwahab moved to Sweden in 1992 aged 11, because governments had made chaos of life in Iraq. He lived in England after leaving school, grew to resent the way UK and Swedish government soldiers were killing Muslims, and resolved on a violent protest - carried out back in Sweden a few days ago. If the Swedish government had not supported the US military in Afghanistan, he would have had no motive to do that. A zero government society would have no government and therefore no military and therefore would not be intervening elsewhere, and therefore no radical Muslim or anyone else would have any motive to do it damage.

A traveler who reached property owned by a resident of the ZGS might see a notice. It might say "trespassers will be shot" or "visitors welcome" or "please go to the road entrance 2 km to your East" or whatever the owner saw fit. The tourist would act accordingly. Most likely, he would reach the road, pay its owner's toll, and continue his trip. He'd have to pay the toll, and any hotel, fuel and food expenses in real money - presumably, gold or silver - so he'd not survive long if he failed to bring more than his government's paper. If he aggressed in some way, he'd be treated like any other aggressor, in the society's free-market justice system.

If he came in order to offer his skills in exchange for money, his offer would be accepted - by someone, at some price. Would that mean the ZGS would see massive numbers of immigrants, seeking higher wages? - maybe, at least for a while. That's close to what America did see, for a century prior to the 1920s. However I don't think it would last long, because after America becomes free of government, that freedom will rapidly export itself; it will have a wonderful domino effect as the ideas spread worldwide. So most freedom-seekers will be content to wait a few more years until their own governments evaporate, so that they can enjoy liberty without even moving home.

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