Note that one of the merits behind an effective modern army is its ability to maintain regular troops that are trained, equipped, drilled and rotated with a reserve on a regular basis - something that's usually achieved with a centralized form of organization and is backed by resources that in the current day are provided by a state. What's the plan on providing modern weaponry, persistent intelligence, as well as infrastructures for logistic, communication, ordinance etc' for a militia that's "transitive" by nature? who's going to keep an eye on those resources and make sure they don't breed power tripping warlords, terrorists or even simple crime organizations? what's the plan on keeping track of munitions and deadly weapons after the militia is disbanded?

Employ decentralized resistance / guerilla warfare. This can be extremely effective.

Highly effective to a degree and can still be bleed-out, toppled or at the very least kept under control with a more organized army. Also decentralization can easily turn to feudalism with armed groups if they start going against each other for whatever reason, such as in the case of political subversion exploiting inherit weaknesses in a non-centralized structure (divide and conquer, etc').

If allies and neighbors are watching, engage in nonviolent resistance. This is difficult and requires getting the message out to other groups and the attacker’s constituency to pressure them.

What's a nonviolent resistance going to do to a threat actor who's eventual plan is political subversion and/or an incursion? why would they give a s*it as long as the war-effort on their side goes uninterrupted by the target or their allies until they decide to escalate?

[–] melek@lemmy.one 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Transitive wasn't the best term to use, you're right to ask about that - I was referring to structures that are temporary, voluntary, and established as necessary. Non-hierarchical communities can form such voluntary hierarchies for specific tasks, much like the fire department analogy.

Your comments seem to question the resilience of smaller, less militarized societies against well-resourced, aggressive forces. Unfortunately, the vulnerability to more powerful entities is not unique to communities practicing non-hierarchical or alternative systems; it's a universal issue.

Examples like the Zapatistas, India's independence, and Vietnam's resistance against a superpower demonstrate that less militarized societies can sometimes successfully resist more powerful adversaries. These examples don't guarantee success but show that various forms of resistance can be effective.

An ideal anarchistic community focuses on mutual aid and sustainable, non-coercive living. They, like any small community, are susceptible to violent disruption or displacement by larger hierarchical entities. The fear of warlords or similar figures, as you mentioned, essentially acknowledges the ever-present human tendency to consolidate power.

The Doukhobors offer another insightful case study. They're not anarchists due to their patriarchal Christian family structures, but their community-oriented, pacifist lifestyle echoes anarchist ideals. Historically, they've been displaced by the state due to their rejection of many governmental norms. Wherever they resettled, they reliably transformed inhospitable land into productive farmland. Some argue this cycle of displacement and land cultivation was strategically orchestrated by the Canadian governmen to exploit their agricultural expertise. In their case, they demonstrate resilience instead of resistance.

It's common for people encountering anarchist philosophy for the first time to question its practicality against militaristic threats and it's a valid question. But the harsh reality is, regardless of a society's structure or philosophy, it remains vulnerable to aggressive entities with superior military resources.