Could a modern society survive with no government?

Question

I was thinking about this today, and I was wondering, would it be possible for there to be a modern society that existed in total anarchy? A society that was as advanced as America, but with no government to speak of? If such a society could exist, what would it be like?

Answer 1

From human viewpoints the animal kingdom has no government. However in reality, the bees and the ants work together to build their cities just the same as we do.

Nature is within us as well as without, and despite the forms seen today, tomorrow we will still be creatures that crave collective involvement, so the governing process is always present.

Anarchy (as a word) has come to be associated with chaos, but in it origins, it simply meant the absence of government, and in fact self-government and democracy are the same things as anarchy, depending on the mood of the population. If every man sat under his own vine or fig tree, was self governing and lived more or less in peace with his neighbour, they would qualify as living in anarchy. But we have been groomed up to think that anarchy always means they would be fighting with each other over the figs and wine.

What we are really comparing in today's world is the growth of 'governmental agencies.' As you may realize, the more we have of them the less likely they are to perform the duties we set them up to perform. Hence, big goverment is bad, small government is good.

If tomorrow, all bets were off, and mankind had to start from scratch building a new world, we would do more or less the same things we did last time.

What the world really needs is a new continent to plunder, or make that, 'new continent to develop.' The Americas (North and South) are great, not because of their 'governments' but because they have been so recently inhabited by our particular style of hominoids.

"Great" governments are only great in the minds of their own constituents. They control the minds of lesser souls, and 'sell' the idea that 'We are the Greatest.' They sound like Mohammed Ali beating his chest before a big fight! But just ask yourself how great you perceive the government of another country than your own to be, and you will then realise how folks in other countries view the government that is brainwashing you.

Unfortunately, the Western World for sure, and perhaps to a lesser extent the Third World (sorry about the second, it seems to be like Pluto, now extinct), has such massive superstructures of finance, control, influence, etc., that if they fell they would crush most of us............. so we keep trying to keep them afloat.

So lets not postulate on what we would build in their place............ if they fall, the better question would be, will we survive it?

Answer 2

In order for society to survive without any government we would have to give up everything that makes us human so I don't think such a society could exist. If it did it would only exist on a small scale with like minded people but there would still end up being a form of hierarchy in the group.

Answer 3

I don't think a modern society would be able to exist without a government of any kind. However, I am not saying I support Bush or anything.

Any government is better than none.

Answer 4

It would be chaos in a true anarchy everything has rules or at least some kind of guidelines to follow if it were every man or woman for themselves what would that be like? No money how would one obtain land build a house no one would have jobs how would there be clean water food basically everything. It would be gang warfare on all fronts people would fight over land food everything it would be war or civil war at that.

Answer 5

no chaos would reign
first then there would be no laws and people being the greedy assholes we are, will loot and kill without any repercussions on the culprit. There would be no money system and the basis of human nature is greedy so people cant trade. living in constent fear as anyone with power could just kill anyone else. as a country we couldnt defend ourselves from invaders unless we were to band toghether which is highly unlikly. People are not that understanding yet, also people need leaders however leaders also lead to conflict but without leaders, everone is "equal" therefore everyone is a leader of themselves and they will all fight like hungry dogs over a scrap of meat(meat being power and a comfortable life)

Answer 6

Humans cannot live without a government because we are still savages and still don't know how to behave correctly. We need someone to discipline us. Take the example of Katrina. When that happened people were stealing merchandise from stores. They didn't care of the catastrophe that was going on. Even police officers were participating. So the answer is NO!

Answer 7

the world has become to complex for that. most people would not be so cooperative and generous unless there is some kind of compact to require certain necessary functions. what you suggests would be likely only if it was post nuclear exchange that set society back a hundred years or more. we lived with that possibility until mr. gorbachov triggered the breakup of the soviet union. eventually countries like iran, pakistan and north korea will evolve to that sort of threat.

Answer 8

Think of Yahoo Answers without Community Guidelines.

Answer 9

I don't think it would function properly. The nation would have no organization.
We could get rid of federal government and maybe still work, but I think you need some sort of rule-making base to keep the country from chaos.

Answer 10

It's considered a Necessary Evil. However the styles of government vary and hopefully humans will eventually develop one that they all agree upon and that which will serve the common good.