One idea that has crossed my mind has been actually starting a protection agency. With all of the violence south of the border and with forseeable increase in violence in the United States, starting a protection agency might not be a bad idea. In Detroit, entire neighborhoods go without any police protection. If a protection agency could achieve economy of scale, it could be possible to provide protection on a monthly basis for a cheap price that een the poor could afford.
In Mexico and in areas of Texas, Arizona, and California with high crime rates, a protection agency could provide afforable protection the police cannot provide to the middle class. It would go a long way to show the inefficiency of government.
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Plus, that would be a great opportunity for all the frontiersmen and lone wolves who complain about the boredom and immobility of Western societies to kill two birds with one stone: first some adventure, and likely more liberty should they do a good job.The problem will be to find these characters. They don't tend to advertize in the local paper.
It could be quite profitable too. In Detroit, people will pay for any kind of protection. The housing prices are so cheap there we could even buy an entire neighborhood or an entire apartment complex and offer protection to the tenants. I'm a Detroiter, if you couldn't tell already.
And you think the federal government would allow this?
The difference between libertarianism and socialism is that libertarians will tolerate the existence of a socialist community, but socialists can't tolerate a libertarian community.
They allow bodyguards, don't they?
This already happens in the Rio slums. Best source is retired police, military.
Find a crossfit.com affiliate in the Detroit area. Lots of first responders train at these gyms.
Byzantine: This already happens in the Rio slums. Best source is retired police, military. Find a crossfit.com affiliate in the Detroit area. Lots of first responders train at these gyms.
From Brazilian films and TV series set in the favelas I've come to love the non-police drug dealer inspired order - but maybe I just love drug dealers too much, and hate the police. I mean they do enforce order with murder. But there is no theft, rape, murder etc...
krazy kaju:I'm a Detroiter, if you couldn't tell already.
I'm just across the Ambassador.
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Thedesolateone: And you think the federal government would allow this?
At some point, we will have to stop waiting for permission. I don't see the state saying, "Sure, go your own way, we were wondering when you guys would ask for your rights back. Here they are, we took extra special care of them."
Some more points to consider:- Can one easily (= legally) acquire necessary equipment? I don't think that fully-auto rifles are legal in the US, and hearsay has it that the current administration doesn't take too kindly to semi-autos either. What about carry permits? Can you walk through Detroit carrying an AR-15? I know that we shouldn't grovel before bureaucrats, but being chased by police cars while fighting criminals doesn't really help.- Are there are any insurance providers that cover damages in this kind of business? If not / if it's too expensive, how would damage claims by relatives be handled, just in case something bad happens?- If fighting crime in unprotected neighborshoods is profitable, why doesn't Blackwater do it?
Sphairon:If fighting crime in unprotected neighborshoods is profitable, why doesn't Blackwater do it?
more profitable to fight Iraqis on the taxpayer's dime
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I was thinking more along the lines of a group of people with shotguns, long guns, etc. who respond to calls by subscribers. There could also be a pay-per-call basis. The legal stuff could be left to the state, except for especially trustworthy clients.
krazy kaju: I was thinking more along the lines of a group of people with shotguns, long guns, etc. who respond to calls by subscribers. There could also be a pay-per-call basis. The legal stuff could be left to the state, except for especially trustworthy clients.
Sort of like a voluntary posse comitatus?
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I don't really know what the hell it is, but it sure sounds cool, so I'll say yes. For more credibility, the people who are part of this protection agency could pass one of those Blackwater courses about firearms and whatnot.
Sphairon:- Can one easily (= legally) acquire necessary equipment? I don't think that fully-auto rifles are legal in the US, and hearsay has it that the current administration doesn't take too kindly to semi-autos either. What about carry permits? Can you walk through Detroit carrying an AR-15? I know that we shouldn't grovel before bureaucrats, but being chased by police cars while fighting criminals doesn't really help.
Full autos have never been 'illegal', although they closed the registry for adding new ones to the list in 1986. The National Firearms Act of 1934 (another gift from FDR) basically made all full autos registered, and you have to pay a 200 dollar transfer tax. The cost of the full autos, due to the closing of the list, is astronomical. I have a friend who owns a legal on-list German MG-34. He bought it for 6500 in 1995 - now he estimates its value at about 13 grand. So the full auto option is basically out, unless you have a protection agency run by millionaires.
I am not sure about open carry in Detriot, but in most states open (read: visable) carry is legal. I have personally done it, although open carry with rifles is a different story. Obama is too sly to even try anything with semi autos as a category, at least for now.
Semper Fidelis
liberty student: Thedesolateone: And you think the federal government would allow this? At some point, we will have to stop waiting for permission. I don't see the state saying, "Sure, go your own way, we were wondering when you guys would ask for your rights back. Here they are, we took extra special care of them."
I'll accept that, but at the same time - they sure have a lot of firepower.
And we all know what they do to people they don't like.
I don't think there's much of a need for illegal weapons as long as they're well-trained. Besides, I've heard there are enough loopholes to get everything one would need for this.
I don't think this would be on a big enoguh scale for an insurance model, but I do think someone can do it straight fee-based or just buy a bloc of houses and let, bundling this together.
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