There are a lot of things about anarchy that I find myself agreeing with. That being said, I also can agree with some of the questions you posit in your article. Sometimes when I'm reading anarchists talking about the subject, I see an underlying belief that people are generally good, or at least that the large majority of folks are altruistic.

I think the truth is that the average person is NOT these things. We as a society look at elite athletes, people who are courageous and brave, and we honor them because it's not normal behavior. If the self-discipline and dedication required to be an elite athlete were normal, it wouldn't be seen as special, and we wouldn't watch sports events to see them do what they do. We hold up the guy who jumped in to save a drowning child or we remark about how in the Midwest people stop to help those stranded on the side of the road because those aren't "normal," they're above and beyond.

At some point, those who want liberty really want to just be left alone to live. A lot of people don't necessarily plan to hurt others, but they'll take advantage if it helps them. They'll steal if they can get away with it. They'll cheat if they can do it without getting caught. And that's not even counting how the actual predators in society will act.

I think where the disconnect happens, though, is that people tend to think, "Who will protect us? How will we deal with criminals?" Perhaps the focus should be on personal responsibility for things such as safety and self-defense. When someone asks the question "What happens if a woman is raped?" I don't start thinking about who's going to punish the rapist. I think, "Why does anyone need to be in a position where they CAN be victimized? Why not teach people to stand up and protect themselves?" Not everyone agrees with the idea that an armed society is a polite one, but as a woman, I carry a gun, I train with it, and I am situationally aware. I don't expect anyone else to be responsible for protecting me, I protect myself. Perhaps the key is personal responsibility in a lot of areas that we've been conditioned to depend on the State for.

Of course...personal responsibility is work. It requires discipline and effort, and those are also things that many people aren't interested in doing...which is why I'd also have to agree that people will take socialism over anything else because the average person is..let's face it...lazy. ;)

Then again, I don't have all the answers. I'm just thinking out loud here. Great discussion going on.