The Paradox of Agorism

Throughout the history of the state there have always been ones who oppose the states, who are generally referred to as Anarchists. Anarchists come in all shapes and forms, from Anarcho-Communists to Autarchists. However, they believe in one goal; The abolishment of the state as we know it and complete freedom for the individual. While I could take at extreme lengths as to to my problems with Anarchism, I will mainly focus on one I foudn rather paradoxical, Agorism.

Agorism is, from what I know, a theory that everyone should use the black market in an attempt to bring about a free market economy. And, the black market is a perfect example of an Anarchistic Free Market, no government taxation, no government regulations, complete control over ones business, etc. (I was going to insert a jab about gangs but decided not to).

However, for Agorism to come about, we need a couple of pre-conditions:

- That the Black Market is substantial enough to cater for the needs of the consumers (Which will be, in the case of Agorism, the entire population).
- All relevant Taxation is so high that it acts as an incentive to buy off the cheaper black market.
- The government will not take action to the point of curbing the trade in the black market, and will not reduce it in anyway.
- The Black Market is convenient to access but safe enough to not be caught buying\ selling in.
- That pre-existing companies and corporations will not profiteer from the black market, thus bringing about their ruin.
- The product or service received must be of similiar or higher quality, and if not, can only be so poor to the point it justifies its lower cost.

This may seem like a very hefty set of pre-conditions, and indeed it is hard to compare it to any examples, seeign as outlawed products\services that are outlawed lack any form of sales tax to start with and can only be obtained through the black market, and any legal products and services rarely have a substantial black market. However, let's consider one: Unregistered Taxis. These, mostly foreign, cabbies are unwillingly becoming a show case of Agorism in action. These illegal taxis tick most of the boxes, the taxes are an incentive, the market is pretty easy to access (You need a car), taxis are mainly run by one man so companies don't arise or ply their hand in the market, and the government find it hard to clamp down an illegal taxis. The only issue is taxis aren't substantial enough to cater to everyone. Anarchists aren't going to wait an hour or two so they can get an illegal cab (And, what cabby will admit as much anyway?), if such a cab was to come. Taxis aren't substantial enough to cater everyones needs, or at least the agorists needs.And this isn't uncommon. The black market is often small, fractured and generally ineffecient,.

Of  course, the only way of increasing illegal taxis, or any product\service for that matter, is through, quite ironically, increasing government regulation and taxation of that product\service. Essentially, the only way for anarchism to come about through Agorism is that the government needs to simply implement extremely statist and authoritarian policies to kick start an anarchist policy. This is the paradox of Agorism, Agorism is fuelled by Statism. Despite Agorists being freedom loving anarchists, which one of them will honestly look you in the eyes and tell you they support drug legalisation and believe women should be allowed receive abortions by medical professionals when both these things are handled by the black market. Well, not exactly for abortions, which leads me to my next part of this rant.

When it comes to products in the black market, many of them are unsafe. A rather extreme exampel would be abortions. The coat hangar abortion is nowhere near as safe as the one performed in hospitals. Indeed, back alley abortions would be a prime example against a black market, though I'm guessing Agorists see it as the last service to be "Agorised", which would require a mass movement of medical professionals to the black market. However, consider all the products, particularly food products, which would go without being checked for harmful defects. Of course, Agorist, and Anarchists and Libertarians in general, will argue that consumers should be fully aware that food may make them sick and shoudl take any protective measures into their own hands. While I find reason within both statements, I think the idea that a protective agency will arise in a small black market is just a silly, idealistic notion.

Essentially, I see the merit of Agorism, that true free market can arise through the use of the black market over the government sanctioned market. However, I think Agorists forget the power of the government and the corporations, who combined can do serious damage to the black market. The reason they haven't done so is because the black market hasn't been big enough to warrant this, and in nations with big black markets business and government are often corrupt and weak to do anything, and indeed most business operates within the black market.

Many Agorists would argue that to reduce regulation (Which would be a bad thing for the balck market) would  be positive for the anarchistic end goal, however, that's not agorism, that's anarchism through government, another paradox.

My conclusion is that Agorism is a paradox in it's implementation, that to be successful it would need to suppress freedom and implement lots of ridiculous regulations. And this would be contradictory to everything Anarchism stands for. not only this, but it is impractical in the "switch-over" and for me, leads a lot of questions in hypothetical and plausible areas,