Well, not everywhere in TX, unfortunately. But in the part of TX where I lived and where this was kind of true, the amazing thing is that no one really quite knew if this was in fact true. The reason - no one ever broke into anyone's car. Amazing, ain't it?

Though the main theme may be government and ways to protect, "militia" may be one rendering. It's possible to describe the group one of individuals.One may note they add to John Galt rescuing.He may be successful with his own rescuing. It may appear he turns off the machine.It may resemble telepathy or what's advance a physicist with John Galt's proficiency or management can muster and most cannot comprehend.The machine of the villains and enemies is mediocre from a mediocre scientist.It's like with a making to fail, like they and their villainy.It's discontinuation abets his getting out,free, and away.More than a militia is to note the names of the individuals there.

Nothing is perfect, but we need to compare one real system to another. In the scenario that you are afraid of (privately funded police), you are concerned that the police will mostly protect higher paying customers, as opposed to publicly funded police (what we have now) who, in times of riots and major disturbances when the mob sets buildings and businesses indiscriminately on fire, loots them and intentionally destroys everything in its path, that same publicly funded police, fearlessly and with total dedication to their oaths, always protects the mayor's office, the City Hall and the police HQ. And let the rest burn. So, I should ask you - are you still thinking that publicly funded police will protect you better?

My Harley would take a lot longer than that to steal, and the GPS would log its travels if it did get lifted.

Yep. And here, halfway around the world, I often hear on the media how well things are working out in those areas :/

In two to three minutes, Radio_Randy's car is long gone.

"2. I can't shoot them (unless they threaten me)."

Or if you lived in Texas, where people get shot for breaking into a car to steal bits of change and goods in it, get shot, and nobody bats an eyelash except to say "Good" - even a lot of the liberals here react that way. ;)

Objectivism (or anything else) is not an attempt to "eliminate crime". Objectivism is a rational definition of what is a crime, and therefore what to protect against.

"If someone can steal with impunity, due to the victim failing to keep their policing premiums up-to-date, then the thief has no real incentive to obey law and respect property rights -- only to cope with possible direct retribution from the victim and those willing to support the victim. Such lawlessness is a powerful inhibitor to economic growth, and will further serve to keep the lower classes in poverty and violence."

So .... Detroit? East Cleveland?

"A good STAR WARS defense plus..."

Not if Jar Jar is involved.

I suspect if we had a "regressive" tax structure with no exceptions we'd have less appetite for spending.

"So, Mr. Senator, you really think this proposal to spend another 15Bn on something in your state is worth taking more money from poor people?"

"yes" -> pilloried in the press as being against the poor
"no" -> "Ok, so we don't do it; next."

The responsibility of the the Government is limited by out Constitution. In order for it to continue there will need to be a way to finance it. The way it is now, we are taxed with no real assurance that we will be protected. If paying taxes keeps me and my family safe here and abroad that is great. But now that money is being wasted on all kinds of made up xxxx.

Plowing snow off roads is generally provided by the gub'mint, but It is also provided by private individuals to those who are willing to pay for it. Sure, the gub'mint sends out plow trucks and they show up sometimes, and do what they do (sometimes half-assedly), if you want better, you pay for it.

Same with policing and security - the Gub'mint provides a base level of security and police protection - if you want more, there are plenty of private options for those willing to pay for it.

On our street - we pay to maintain and service said road. If we want to not pay, then our road turns to crud. If we want it taken care of - then we pull together, and deal with it.

If you don't like the level of service you get from the services provided by your tax dollars, you are ALWAYS free to supplement it if needed...

Yepper-double-dee-diddilydoo, here too... While my fun and entertaining 30 year stint with the State of Califlower, we, Coldanfunny, er, the left coast, has benefitted me in ways immeasurable, ways I likely would not have gotten in the way my life was headed in Private Industry, it was the promise of exchanging x years of my life for a pension past that. They don't realize I have gotten more than a fair trade for a number of those years, and have personally gained (much to the horror of the socialists who run this califunny farm) from my employment here.

Would I parley that to something gainful and worthwhile outside of this asaylum? You bet your buttinski I will, again, even tho their people say "thou shalt not do other than pillory yourself upon the great and nasty spindle of state for the greater good, and not thyself"...

What they did was expand my MIND and my thoughts and my dreams... let those bastards try to take that away from me... So... I win. Bwa ha ha ha...

Thanks for the references. Good to know my memory isn't totally gone. ;)

The purpose of a government is basically two-fold:
1) Defense (not offense) and:
2) Infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc.)
- NOT mini-malls, education, "scientific studies" and various and sundry alphabet soup departments.

In many interesting comparative ways, proper government is simply an abstraction of what an average homeowner would do to keep his/her property.
Loss prevention is: Insurance, smoke detectors, security systems, fences, etc. .
That is "defense".
Growth is: Saving, upgrading, mowing lawn and trimming trees, keeping up the paint and siding, cleaning, etc. .
That is "infrastructure".
Paying taxes and purchasing insurance are simply using your saved time to allow another entity to engage in "defense" and "infrastructure".

I can engage in actively attending to my property and the rest I have to entrust to entities who I have hired to be an umbrella plan for larger issues.

If there was a "Gulch" in reality I am sure that there would be no taxes nor insurance because everyone would be able and ready to prevent loss and promote growth of everyone.

Correct. Rulings include Castle Rock vs. Gonzalez, Warren vs. District of Columbia, and Balestrera vs. Pacifica Police Department.

Basically, the police are not responsible for your safety. They are only there investigate crimes, track criminals, and bring them in for a trial.

The mere act of assaulting your person is a crime. Even if you prevent a criminal from taking something, chances are you haven't killed him, thus need police to capture and punish him.

And that's assuming that you are there, at all. How can you prevent a crime if you're in a different place entirely?

Unfortunately, objectivism is not likely to eliminate crime or despotic regimes bent on domination of other cultures. Because a society based on the objectivist paradigm is likely to be highly successful it will be a target for collectivist domination by force or by penetration and subversion. It is costly to provide a defense against such an adversary but if such a society is to survive it must do so. All successful organisms have an immune system, this includes social structures. How is the immune system for an objectivist society supported?

As a vet I think that you greatly underestimate the requirements of a defense of a nation of the size and richness that America represents. At this time we are under a nearly full scale invasion from the South as people come across our boarder unchecked. This is straining all of our Social services and placing an undo burden on our economy.

Yes I will agree immediately that ALL of our Social services should be ended but at this time they are still there. And as long as they remain the people from the South will keep flooding in. Additionally there are those of even worse intent mixed in with them.

I meant freedom from external threats like Hitler, not internal threats like Hillary or Obama.

If I protect myself, I dont need criminals to be caught. They would never get away with anything.

This would need to be analyzed a bit. A country like ours is pretty well SET to resist invasion, given the two oceans. I might not take that much to defend it. We certainly dont need a huge invasion force and backup supply lines to invade other countries. A good STAR WARS defense plus a credible missile offense system should go a long way.

Defense in a country like Ukraine is a different story, tho.

Something about people choosing to fund the military based on what they think the military should be doing appeals to me. Even if some people just didnt support it all just to be cheap bastards. It doesnt cost significantly more to protect a country like the USA even if some dont contribute.

I'm sorry that the state-funded police in your jurisdiction are not up to scratch. I'm fairly fortunate here, where taxpayer-funded police response time to live burglaries is usually 2-3 minutes or less.