TOBIN ON GOVERNMENT

By Ronald C. Tobin

Issue #104 and 105 of THE THOUGHT hosted a very intense and interesting Point/Counterpoint debate on royalism vs. the republic. Julian Tebye and Marc Eric Ely-Chaitlin made very clear their views on this pivotal issue. Suffice to say that I am happy to host in-print debates, so long as they remain polite and have a point. I thank both of these gentlemen for their efforts. I suspect that there will be a final summation by these two in Issue #107.

Now, it is my turn to chime in. I know a lot of folks out there have been wondering where I stand on the matter of government: its desirability, its necessity, its form, and so on. Frankly, I know my silence, for the most part, outside of the Editor's Note (the first article of the magazine, always and forever) has caused a certain amount of questioning. Be assured, it is not that I have nothing to say, rather it has been a matter of waiting and seeing when I thought it would be appropriate to weigh in. You see, an editor can unduly influence a discussion by what he or she says, because of who they are. Editor is a powerful position, within your domain you can do whatever you want. I think, though, that enough discussion on the topic of government has taken place, so I do believe that now is the time to become involved.

First off, I remain philosophically uncomfortable with formal forms of government. I still firmly believe that the best form of government is simply government of self - you rule yourself, no one else rules you, and you rule no one else. Some call this anarchism, some call this libertarianism, and most call it a pipe dream. Well, I like this pipe, thank you.

Secondly, I have come to the conclusion that we live in societies that, were all formal systems of government to simply vanish, would degenerate into blood and chaos. Unfortunately we are surrounded by people who really and truly could not do without some external form of government. The vast majority of people actually want to be told what to do and how to live. Look around - you all know this to be true. I think this can be changed, but it will take a great deal of time for such education and persuasion to work, to wean a sizable chunk of the populace from this madness. We do not need to persuade the majority, but we do need a lot more numbers than we have.

Finally, after years of soul-searching, I have come to the conclusion that the formal system of government most compatible with the ideal of self-government is that of civilian monarchy, as presented by Marc Eric Ely-Chaitlin.

This is a radical departure from what has been the case in the United States, the monarchy would be far different from the oligarchic republic that we now contend with. It would be much better for all individuals. Whether this would serve as a step towards an absolutely free society of self-government, or as an end in itself, that I cannot say. I can, however, say this - Marc Eric Ely-Chaitlin is a man of his word. You can take what he says at face value. He will answer your questions about what he is trying to accomplish.

I know that some of you may be concerned that, as a libertarian royalist, I may be inclined to not print opposing viewpoints, somehow rein in the free and frank discussion that THE THOUGHT is famous for. Nothing could be further from the truth. Dialogue is important, and good ideas come from many places (as is also the case with "bad" ideas). This magazine, so long as I live and breathe, will remain a place where anti-authoritarians of all creeds can discuss matters of mutual interest.

This last paragraph strays a bit from my declared topic of government, but suffice it to say that I really think that Ely-Chaitlin's ideas are deserving of a fair hearing. He and I do not agree on some issues, yet we work together well. That took time, as he would attest we have not always been the best of friends. Comments on his articles are as welcome as comments on material by anyone else.

As for my level of involvement in the Regent's efforts: I am a member of the National Assembly, representing the state of Arizona. In the Free Territory, I have the honor of serving as the Viceroy of the Viceroyalty of Orange, which essentially covers the western United States. I am also the Director of the Royal Academy of Philosophy, a group that will come into its own over the next year. I founded my household government back in January of 1987, and I named it the Commonwealth of Lakota-Monomanie, in honor of my Native American heritage (I am one-third Lakota Sioux). The noble title I adopted was Archduke. The Regent saw fit to honor me in 1994 by granting me the title of Prince. I would say, though, that at present my most important contribution to the Regent's efforts is in publishing THE THOUGHT, keeping the print media alive as he takes care of the website. It is an arrangement that appears to be working quite well. I am honored to call Marc Eric Ely-Chaitlin my friend.

I thank you for your attention, rest assured that you all will see more material by yours truly in the months ahead. Remember - it is the republic that practices censorship. We libertarian royalists insist on open and free discussion, will not have it any other way!