I'm not a Hobbesian; though I take the point, but I believe that if the government disappeared, people would just start building up a local government to enforc

I'm not a Hobbesian; though I take the point, but I believe that if the government disappeared, people would just start building up a local government to enforce established customs. If people really wanted to steal everything, the government couldn't stop them. The real check on violence is that people don't want to, and are quite happy with peaceful exchange according to their established views. Some places would probably fall into violence, but I think most would simply reorganize and keep going. Strong central governments typically arise from the efforts of a few elite, but decentralized governments themselves exist nearly throughout history because it is a useful construct for the people living in the different places to resolve disputes and live their lives in peace.