How do you Handle an Insane Armed Thug?

I see this issue debated over and over again in many contexts. A State policeman/thug stops you and demands ID. The policeman doesn't have the legal authority to demand your ID. Do you:

1. Show ID to avoid the hassle and waste of time.
2. Refuse to show ID.

I have sympathy to both approaches. The policeman is obviously the aggressor in this scenario.

I'd probably show ID to avoid the hassle and waste of time. I'd comply with the policeman's demand. I'd use the time saved for promoting agorism or other productive activities.

The policemen's salaries are paid via taxation/theft. The policeman can detain you. They get paid the same either way, but your time is wasted. You might say "That's wasting police resources!", but almost everything that monopolistic State police do is a waste!

The policeman would probably conclude "FSK is not dangerous!" solely based on my body language, and not escalate the issue. For example, when I get on the subway carrying a bag, the police are sometimes checking all bags. If I walk up to them and open my bag to show it to them, they don't even bother looking inside. Even if there were no other passengers, the policemen would be more interested in their conversation with each other than carefully checking my bag. If I acted nervous and walked passed them, then I'd certainly be subjected to a full search.

It's amusing to see a policeman with a bomb-sniffing dog. The dog is usually a lot smarter than the policeman! The policeman doesn't notice me. The dog seems to notice "This human is more alert than the others!" The dog doesn't give the "FSK is carrying a bomb!" signal, so the policeman doesn't notice.

If you refuse to show ID, then the policeman will make up an excuse and arrest you. Then, it's your word against the policeman regarding the facts of what happened. Fake crimes like "disorderly conduct", "disobeying the orders of a policemen", and "resisting arrest" allow the policeman broad discretion to do whatever he wants.

There usually are multiple policeman present. They will all say "The guy who refused to show ID was a threat and needed to be arrested!" If it's one non-policemen disagreeing with several policemen, the policemen will almost always be believed in a State court. When testifying, the policemen carefully rehearse and coordinate their stories.

Some people say "If the policeman attempts to arrest/kidnap me, then I'll resist violently!" or "I'd run away!" Such an approach will likely end in your murder. The policeman can always say "But he was reaching for a gun!" and then murder you and get away with it. Even if you could somehow kill all the thugs currently confronting you, you'll be murdered when backup arrives. At some point, the thugs will learn about the death of their comrades, and will come after you with superior resources. If it's one person against the full focused power of the State, then that person is SOL; nothing focuses the attention of the State like the death of a thug/policeman. The death of a policeman is always a #1 priority, because members of a criminal gang protect each other.

A direct violent confrontation with policemen is pointless. You'll just get yourself arrested or tasered or killed.

I'd rather use my time productively promoting agorism, than wasting it in a confrontation with idiots.

Some people say "I'll sue the police for misconduct!" My reaction to that is "Forget it, idiot!" Think about it carefully. Who do the police work for? Who does the judge work for? A judge knows that the only reason he has power and influence is the fact that State thugs obey his orders without questioning them. Therefore, a State judge almost always sides with the police in a dispute.

You sometimes hear cases where an individual has a dispute with a policeman in a State court and wins. Those cases are themselves evil fnords. The fact that sometimes a policeman does something bad and gets caught, doesn't justify all the remaining times where they get away with it. Even when a policeman murders someone, the worst-case outcome usually is that the policeman gets fired. A State judge almost always accepts the policeman's explanation over the non-policeman's explanation.

As I mentioned before, suing the government is pointless. Even if you could sue the State in a State court and win, the damages would merely be paid by everyone else as higher taxes. The State bureaucrats themselves are protected by sovereign immunity. They will suffer no personal liability for their misconduct.

Consider an analogous situation. You see a crazy person on the subway. Do you:

1. Pick a fight with him.
2. Ignore him.

How many of you say "When I see a crazy person on the subway, my immediate reaction is to pick a fight with him!"? That's obviously stupid.

A State thug or bureaucrat should be treated like a crazy person on the subway. Once they notice you, your best approach is to escape their attention. With a crazy person on the subway, they'll forget about you. With State bureaucrats, they will dispatch as many armed thugs as needed to ensure your compliance.

A State bureaucrat is much more dangerous than a single crazy person on the subway, because he's a member of a crazy cult with lots of resources. The overall principle is the same.

Suing the State for damages in a State court is like picking a fight with a crazy guy on the subway. It's a waste of time.

The best strategy for ignoring insane State bureaucrats/thugs is agorism.