Few people can envision a society that can function without force, monopoly and government. Our job, as anarchists, however, is to talk about, and, when possible, to show how free people could get things done fairly, equitably, and without coercion. Our arguments, however, are often dismissed as naive and impractical, and most contemporary anarchists projects are poor examples of how things might work in a libertarian society.
In light of the current discussion of how the government postal monopoly should or should not function, I think the writings and actions of an old New England anarchist should be remembered. Lysander Spooner and his associates challenged the idea that only the state can–and should–deliver the mail by setting up a competing private postal company. The American Letter Mail Company provided cheaper and more efficient delivery than the the government’s postal service and threatened to outcompete it. While the state responded, as it usually does, with force–arresting Spooner and eventually forcing him out of business using its courts–it was forced, by Spooner’s example, to lower its rates and increase its efficiency.
Anyone interested in learning more about this example of anarchy in action should check out this link: https://fee.org/articles/lysander-spooner-the-anarchist-who-single-handedly-took-on-the-us-post-office/.