Article by Ben Doolin on Oct. 23, 2015
Many in America that can see the glaringly obvious problems with ‘big government’… concluding that ‘big is bad’.
The natural progression is that, if big is bad, smaller must be better. From there, they get to ‘the original constitution’… as that is the point where The State was the smallest.
Overlooking the idea that it allowed for slavery and denied women many human rights, what the constitution did was provide an excuse for some humans (the founders)… to extract resources from other humans… and to threaten violence if random and arbitrary rules (legislation) created by these few humans were not followed.
Fortunately for those few humans smart enough to make that happen… humans in general, have a ‘tribal need’ to be accepted (as ostracization in a tribal setting often meant death) and that need trumps logic, reason or a requirement for evidence. Meaning that they will follow ANY orders.
While the original government was relatively harmless (compared to today), once the use of violence became acceptable… sociopaths flocked to grab that power and used it for their own benefit… leveraging propaganda to cover their crimes. As a result, politician became synonymous with liar… and politicians are often seen to be among the most stupid of humans as their ‘plan of action’ never has the possibility of accomplishing the stated objective (as the real objective is to increase their own wealth and power).
This scenario (the legitimization of the initiation of the use of force by a minority for whatever purpose they desire) inevitably and unavoidably leads to the growth of both the size and scope of The State… as there is no capacity to stop it.
“Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program.” -Milton Friedman
To the beneficiary of a government program… they can spend 100% of the value they receive to keep that program in place. To the average citizen… they’ll spend less than a penny on any individual in government. So, no individual can come out ahead by fighting to shrink any individual program.
Throughout history… governments always follow the same path. Make the claim to the right to use violence. Grow, steal, increase control… repeat… until collapse under it’s own weight.
The State is a cancer that grows until it kills the host.
For those that suggest ‘well, that’s why we need a constitution’:
“But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain – that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist.” -Lysander Spooner
Imagine going to a surgeon to have a cancer removed. You get done and he says ‘you’re all set… I removed 90% of it’. You protest that it’ll just grow back. The doctor responds ‘Not to worry’, as he grabs a sharpie pen and writes on the incision line ‘do not grow back’… ‘there, permanently fixed’.
