Anarchism

I think the more common problem for most of us is how would you protect yourself from a government than how would you protect yourself without a government, you don't need to replace a cancer with anything once it's cured.

You can still build organization and specialized jobs within anarchy and without a state government, political parties, etc. Look at anarcho-syndicalism, synthesis anarchism, federated associations, and platformism with principles in decentralization and free association without coercion.

Do the government and the police protect us, though? I'd like to request some proof of the basic premise.

(Not from you personally, but as a counter-argument)

How would I protect myself without a government or police? The same way I do now where I work for free and the police don't show up when I call them.

The only thing the government does for me personally is coordinate infrastructure projects and even that they're horrible at.

(Jutland, Denmark)

The aim is a world where people don't need to commit antisocial acts to get their needs met. In practice, violence exists because capitalism creates the incentive to commit violence.

By not being a shitty person and contributing to my community in such a way that they'd stand together should any of us need protection.

How does the state/police/etc protect me now? They are reactive, they only come after the crime is committed. The time I needed protection and help was 10-20 minutes ago. It would be a lot more efficient to take the resources that go to police and instead put them to use addressing reasons for crime like access to food, shelter, education, and healthcare, breaking down toxic societal issues like misogyny, ableism, queerphobia, toxic masculinity, racism, etc, and establishing effective conflict resolution. And as a last resort having a community defense, where everyone participates in the protection of the community, not just a militarized elite.

That would be my response.

I feel like this question comes from a place of extreme privilege. It assumes that people somehow benefit from state violence, when the opposite is true for the vast majority of people. Imagine how wacky this question sounds to a poor black teenager in USA or a Palestinian or most people on the planet.

Here's a better question: How do people protect themselves from the government/state/police?

There is literally no protection. Maybe money and social privilege.

The same way I protect myself with a government. The police may or may not protect you even when present, and the chances of them being present if and when something happens is not big.

Policemen aren't here to protect you, they mostly limit your freedom, and when you'd actually need help it's mostly a problem caused by governments oppression in the first place.

AFAQ: What about crime?

Tight knit community and firearms.