Quote from: Mike Christ on April 26, 2013, 12:36:36 AM

Quote from: Hawker on April 25, 2013, 12:32:10 PM

In London in 2011, the police withdrew protection from property while dealing with a riot. Within an hour, looters were burning people out of their homes and within a day a man was beaten to death. Same happened in Dublin, Ireland in 1916 and in Baghdad, Iraq in 2003.

Take away the man with the gun and people immediately start looting and soon will start killing. The man with the gun is exactly why they don't loot, pillage and kill.

...snip...

So quick question: If the police went away, would you, not talking about anyone but yourself, revert into an animal and kill the next guy you saw? Usually the answer is, "No, I wouldn't, but what's to stop someone else?" Which implies everyone's stupid and barbaric and untrustworthy with any form of weapon (except the person being asked, of course, which is how statism was invented to begin with.)

London is a city of over 8 million. Less than 2000 rioted. But as a mob they burnt people out of their homes and beat up, in one case beat to death, anyone that didn't surrender their property immediately.

You keep saying "statism" as if an anarchic society would allow that 2000 to prey on the 8 million. Can I suggest you read http://daviddfriedman.com/The_Machinery_of_Freedom_.pdf and understand that anarchists would have a police function and in events like riots would have conscription to ensure safety.