Taller Than Trees

ISBN-13: 9781496961082 / Angielski / Miękka / 2015 / 772 str.

Roger Young

Opis

Southern Rhodesia, Central Africa. In March 1914, occurred a mutiny at the Curragh Barracks, Dublin, Ireland, when the O/C refused an order from the Government in London to disarm political protesters in the North: Its wrong! he said. And its not a soldiers job, he added. Next day, in the lawless settlement of Queenstown in Rhodesia, their new trooper made a rule: No force may be initiated by anyone, including me. Its wrong, he said. "And its my job, anyway. Which was shrugged off as being obvious - till someone challenged it, with results so dire that no one ever tried again. Effectively, no force meant no government; which had to be replaced, so an Arbitrators Court was fixed on for disputes. But it also meant no licences or taxes, which brought something never before seen: employment. It also meant no regulations. A police patrol, unaware of the position, tried re-imposing them and was repulsed. Members of the troopers old patrol (Book One), sent to join him, frustrated two attempts on his life. A pair of pressmen, looking for a story, stayed to found a paper. The town was surveyed, sold by auction to its residents, and its squatter-status solved. The opposition (there were some) called for a debate and were demolished. Crooks arrived, sure of easy pickings (wrongly). A second market started: Uvelani. A police was always needed, so a way to finance one without the use of force devised. To protect potential customers was also needed, and a search began... To those who say The book is to try and show, or that It isnt possible, the answer is No: forgotten, is that Queenstown had no alternative. Force is wrong was absolute, and if they wanted to survive, what happened was the logical result. But can or does a free society work? Read on.