Not really. In case of anarchism, socialists popularized it first. The term ancap is a sad case, too. (But your right with liberalism.)
Also, what is the point of sticking to a word, that is already so tainted and devalued? For me, the term voluntaryism describes my beliefs much better than anarchism.
They will take and corrupt that word too.
You’re right about the history. Michael Malice’s book The Anarchist’s Handbook is an eye opener, both about the attitudes of the first to describe themselves as anarchists and of how some of them had attitudes surprisingly in line with ones we share.
Like many other loaded words, left and right anarchists want the same word and general concept that is actually radically different when you look at means and specifics.
What originals thought of as “ruling” is all authority, even voluntary or that over private property. What we think it means is the initiation of force, etc. I obviously think our view makes more sense.
As for the term being “tainted,” almost everything else I am or believe in is also “tainted” or “devalued” or “loaded.” If I stopped to care about the opinions of people who make those kinds of snap judgments instead of actually getting to know me and listen to what I have to say, I wouldn’t have time to exist. 🤷🏻‍♀️
