Consider this: We are naturally free; we have freedom of choice; we have advanced brains that enable us to learn and think for ourselves and make conscious decisions.
So why do some people think they have to force their will onto others? Answer: because they themselves lack thinking skills. For thought they substitute force. To persuade someone usually requires thought.
Coercion is usually described as "overwhelming the will of another by using force or the threat of force."
During my "military escapades" I somehow naturally applied my thinking skills to thwart those who sought to coerce me. I never even considered using violence or threats against them. They commanded superior force. I had superior thinking skills. I won practically every time.
When you coerce someone you are essentially implying that your victim doesn't have a mind with the capability to think. You think for your victim. Therefore, you force him or her to do your will.
Coercion needs to be distinguished from persuasion. In its strongest form, coercion involves killing another. Next come threatening to kill someone unless he or she obeys you. Threatening to beat, rob, or incarcerate comes next. The strong forms of coercion involve force or threat of force, sometimes deadly force. Government tends to operate at these levels as a last resort. Political power comes from the barrel of a gun, said Mao. This is also the level of the violent criminal, the robber or murderer.
The lowest or weakest level of coercion is to use misrepresentation or fraud to induce someone to do something (usually harmful to themselves) that they wouldn't do if they know all the relevant facts. Much of government operates at this level. This is also the level of the sophisticated criminal, the conman, the embezzler. It is also the level of the brainwasher (government teacher). They lie to get your mind.
A distinction needs to be made between initiated force and force used in self-defense. Force and deception used to prevent others from coercing you is perfectly acceptable. You just have to be careful to minimize being coerced.
We also need to examine indirect coercion. When I buy gas for my car, some of my money goes to the government in the form of taxes. The government then uses these taxes to coerce others. When I buy almost anything, I practice indirect coercion. The system is rigged so that for most of us this is inescapable.
Whenever I pay taxes, I practice indirect coercion. Many of us think we don't have a choice in this. In Freedom Step #5 you'll discover that you always have a choice.
There is also a form of indirect coercion we might call "coercion by proxy" - instead of killing someone myself, I hire a hit man.
We can also make a distinction between individual coercion and organized coercion - the difference between the individual mugger and the criminal gang - for example, government.
Sometimes it's necessary to use coercion against children to prevent hurt or death. If my daughter is about to run in front of a speeding car, I grab her and yank her out of the way. Her ability to observe, think, and act appropriately isn't fully developed, so I use force to overwhelm her will and save her life. (If my absentminded friend carelessly steps onto the road, I might do the same.) In both these cases, however, I should immediately apologize for the use of coercion.
When coercion is perpetrated, there is almost always a loser. Coercive government is a win-lose game - it's destructive. In contrast, voluntary exchange is win-win - it benefits all parties. This is a major reason why free markets work.
Many of us need to do some thinking about coercion:
Most people are relatively blind to coercion, particularly in its subtle forms. Many people who are very aware of coercion are blind to the fact that most people are blind to coercion. Recently I had a discussion with a Libertarian friend. I indicated to him that as far as I know no one has yet written a description of coercion that the "person in the street" or "common person" could really understand. He said, "Why don't they just look it up in the dictionary?"
I don't know how to describe coercion so that it can be generally understood. Can anyone help?
What thinking skills are necessary in order to understand coercion?
Here are some more ideas on coercion:
For a penetrating and very readable treatise on how coercion came to be, have a look at this online (and free) book by Delmar England, Mind and Matters, The World in a Mirror.
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Copyright at Common Law, West El Paso Information Network, 1997