The second-weirdest argument for statism that I’ve heard is: “We are social animals!” … implying, I guess, that if not for the constant threat of force we would not behave according to our nature.
The weirdest (which I’ve only heard twice) is: “There are always some people who will seek to dominate others, and there needs to be a structure to facilitate that ambition.”
That reminds me belatedly of this:
About 1985 I read an essay entitled ‘The Danger of Equality’ by somebody named Gorer. To summarize his dimly-remembered thesis: In a complex society with many kinds of institutions, there are many modes of status-seeking – owning the biggest boat, having one’s daughter presented at the royal court – which are generally harmless; whereas under regimes which seek to abolish all that in the name of equality, the only road for social-climbers is the quest for power over others, which is corrosive all around.