Oooooh, anarchy!

Oooohh. Anarchy. The word summons up visions of freedom, liberty, chaos (in the "good" sense) and, well, fun! It's hip right now, like tattoos. Here's Murray Bookchin's take; it's a tough read (for me, anyway), but let me tell you, it's worth it. Here's a rebuttal. Note the differences in tone, use of ad hominem arguments, and depth of scholarship.
Not that I have much against anarchists. I like to think we share many goals. I think we share a - dare I say - certain disregard, even contempt, for authority, just on principle...perhaps driven by a suspicion of authority (it's so, like, postmodern). We also share a suspicion that pushing the boundaries of the law a little, in the name of pure personal freedom, might actually be healthy for the body politic as a whole. Like a little virus now and then keeps the body's defenses up.
They'll come around; until then, I hope I'm not caught in the crossfire, because we're on the same side. They just don't know it.