The government IS the predator though
Look at how the East German officials used to justify the Berlin Wall
It was unfair when the Soviet Union had paid to educate its citizens for them to take their educations elsewhere
In other words… we own you
Discussion
The government is many people and can be replaced. I hope, though not completely expect, that we can reverse some of the damages it caused by putting good people in it.
The part of the government that is the predator lender needs to be cut off, and the replacement government come up with plan to repair the situation in like fashion as happens in other predatory lending scenarios.
Every government is predatory. It’s the nature of the beast
I'm not an anarchist. I'm a Thomistic minarchist. The state does have a role to play, regardless of our current tyranny.
It is inevitable, sure, and it’s inevitably a predator
It may be inevitable in nation-sized governments, but I disagree in general. A group of heads of households gathering to enhance the lives of their community can't be called predatory. As it grows the attraction of corrupt individuals does increase, but it doesn't mean inevitable. If our states were only 500k-2M people max, it would be a while lot more manageable. This touches on another one of my principles: localism. Smaller is usually better when it comes to power.
I desire security services (and the freedom to defend myself and my property directly).
I do not desire a monopoly security provider. Do you? And if so, why?
Of course I don't want a monopoly of power, even if those who wield it are chosen legitimately by the people. I do, however, believe the people have a right to organize themselves according to norms they endorse and act against those who oppose them. That is government.
Norms such as "murder is wrong" and "theft is wrong" etc. are obvious, so we can say that the people may Agony someone to make determinations about it and carry out appropriate disincentives. Predatory lending is simply another crime we the people should stand against and appoint someone to disincentivize, including against those others we may have appointed in other roles.
May appoint someone*
"the people have a right to organize themselves according to norms they endorse"
What constitutes endorsing a norm? Can 51% of the population impose a "norm" on 49%?
Does someone need to be appointed in order to justly enforce a norm? Should a non-appointed person be permitted to stop a murderer or a thief?
A monopoly State is inherently rotten at the core
The State is a rejection of common law, subjecting some men to the whims of other codified as "law"
The State is a rejection of property rights in favor of coercive taxation which is in principle unlimited power