Agorists and Apathy

Apathy is one of the more comical criticism politically involved individuals make towards agorists. In the world of the politically involved any failure to participate in the political process is a sign of laziness. I say the criticism is comical because it implies agorists are doing nothing while politically involved individuals are pulling all the weight.

Consider what political involvement entails. When one is politically involved they are working on campaigns, attending party functions, volunteering their time at events, and showing up to the voting booth on election day. What do all of these acts have in common? They all involve a proxy. One of the criticisms us gun rights activists make towards gun control advocates is their inconsistency. Gun control advocates claim to oppose guns but they almost unilaterally are willing to use a gun by proxy. When somebody breaks into their home they are unwilling to use a gun to defend themselves. However, they are willing to call a police officer with a gun to defend them. Working for a campaign is effectively trying to make social changes by proxy.

A politically involved individuals is usually trying to get a specific person or party in power in the hopes that that person or party will change things in a favorable way. Electing a pro-gun candidate in the hopes that he or she will fight for gun rights is an act by proxy. Instead of doing the footwork themselves, most politically involved gun rights activists are trying to get somebody else to do the work for them. Mind you, this isn’t to say all politically involved individuals are trying to pawn off their work on another. Many gun rights advocates introduce new people to the shooting community, teach people how to shoot, and research ways to make gun laws irrelevant.

Agorists seldom rely on proxies to do their work. An agorist tends to take direct action by performing economic activity that undermines the state. It is through underground economics that agorists hope to end the state, which is the intended goal. Taking direct action strikes me as far less apathetic than asking somebody to go to a marble building and vote a certain way in the hopes that those votes will eventually lead to a desired end goal. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Agorists are being the change they want to see. Can the same be said about politically involved individuals?