Disclaimer: The following are the personal views of the author, alone, and do not necessarily represent the views of FreedomistMIA.
In the closing weeks of 2022, it is painfully evident to even the most disinterested observer that the United States is in the throes of the worst political turmoil in generations. Significant blocs have formed within the voting-age population with diametrically opposing political views, views that are for the most part completely disconnected from their perceived opponents. Meanwhile, the majority sits quietly in the middle, struggling with skyrocketing costs of living, while wishing the rest would just be quiet for a little while.
But the populace of the United States is not alone in these views. Around the world, citizens of many nations protest regularly – and sometimes violently – over the same, or much worse, problems as the American electorate: whether those be skyrocketing inflation caused by the staggering incompetence of a disconnect globalist elite, the very real fact of a lack of fuel as winter closes in on Europe, fears of a widening of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the never-ending war on terrorism, and many more.
In short – people around the developed world are frustrated, disappointed, alarmed and very angry at governments in general, and usually their own governments in particular. These facts are enhanced by clear perceptions of corruption and wrongdoing, whether warranted or not. Indeed, “government contract” is virtually a dog-whistle signaling likely corruption being in play.
While your humble author makes no pretension of formal political science education, I have been studying this problem for over almost two decades. The following are my own conclusions, based on my own experience and research.
The fundamental problems are two: Firstly, most people simply lack an understanding of political tidal forces because, secondly, they have never been taught how to think about them.
This is a deliberate policy, because doctrinal public education models and doctrines have for over a century focused not on training students to think critically, but to learn just enough to be useful in the workplace. Thus, when situations accrete together, as they have at the end of 2022, the population cannot understand what is happening, which increases discord exponentially.
In the current realm, the point of the following discussion is to clarify the role of “government” as a generic entity, without delving into political mud slinging.
At the heart of this discussion is a fundamental question: Which is superior – ‘the government’ or ‘the people’?
The idea that the Government is inherently superior to the People is a childish and ridiculous notion, unsupportable in either logic or reason, for the simple fact that governments cannot create themselves – they cannot self-organize. “The People”, however that entity can be described, must decide to institute a governing body to oversee those things that individuals cannot carry out on their own, and retain the right to remove it at will.
And yet, there is a pervasive and festering notion that “government” somehow trumps the body that created it.
This idea comes from a sense of overwhelming intimidation, which has been drummed into the population at large by a scientific community that focuses on the mere mechanical reality of the vastness of Nature and the Universe, while ignoring the far more stunning fact that Humankind is able to consider and act to enhance its knowledge of what it can observe around it.
To attempt a start at a remedy for this condition of “directed circumstance”, I will present the following as an aide to those trying to understand the functions of government. We will focus on “functions” of government, to avoid getting lost in measly and petty political minutiae.
In short, “Governments” have a few critical functions that cannot be easily accomplished by the individual citizen. These were the real reasons why the collectivist rubric of a ruling structure that existed separately from the populace that created it was formed, back to at least the Sumerians, and likely much farther back than that (YouTube link).
Governments, in fact, have precisely eight jobs, and ONLY eight – anything else is automatically suspect, because of the propensity for corruption – and even in these eight functions, below, corruption and mismanagement happen frequently:
- Government deals with the barbarians across the river, so that the average Citizen doesn’t have to…Whether this means talking to them or killing them, is immaterial.
There is a pervasive attitude that the individual citizen is perfectly capable of defending themselves without a government to tax them in order to go fight eponymous ‘bad guys’. Since this has been dealt with previously, what I will say is, good luck with that artillery battery that’s in range of your house.
- Government establishes uniform weights and measures, to attempt to cut down on graft, theft and corruption by their Citizens, and their friends and neighbors…However, “Caveat Emptor” still applies.
Pretty simple. The legal term “fungible” was coined to describe the nature of an undifferentiated mass of product.
- Government establishes a common and uniform medium of exchange, for the same reasons as #2.
See #2. Governments work very hard to keep their currencies from being counterfeited, for reasons that should be obvious.
- Government sees to the maintenance of certain lines of communication, so that no area becomes too isolated.
Look around your house – if you didn’t grow it or dig it, every single thing in your house came from somewhere else, and it came over a line of communication (a road, an airport, a railroad or a seaport) that is almost certainly not maintained by you…your tax dollars, however, pay the people who do maintain those lines.
- Government enforces only those “mala prohibita” laws sufficient to maintain #’s 1 – 4, and ensures that “mala in se” crimes are adjudicated fairly.
You and a couple of buddies are not “law enforcement officers” – you’re a lynch mob. Careful legal processes exist to adjudicate cases fairly, both for the safety of the community as a whole, as well as for your safety…if that’s a difficult concept, look up “Robespierre”.
- Government collects reasonable taxes to make 1 – 5 function properly.
People really get hung up over this. Everyone hates taxes; it’s a thing. But the secret, dirty little truth is, people are happy paying what they see as “reasonable” taxes, if they think that the Government is spending those taxes wisely…As pointed out above, however, many people around the world most definitely do not think that they taxes are being spent wisely.
- Government ensures, as far as possible, equality of opportunity…never – ever – equality of outcome.
This is another sticking point that many are encouraged to ignore. Governments can only provide “equality of opportunity”. It cannot give things away “for free”, simply because Government is a net consumer, not a net producer, and never has been. If a government “gives” you something, the government took it from someone else, likely under threat of violence. Even in the days when troops were paid with loot from conquered enemies, the expenditures the Government incurs are never recouped for at least a century…and it is the Citizenry that bears the costs.
- Government ensures that monopolies are limited and strictly controlled.
This is Government’s primary failure, especially in the modern day, simply because there is far too much temptation in the amounts of money and potential pot-government sinecures that large businesses can dangle at Government officials…which is a fancy way of saying that “money corrupts”.
Reread the above, as many times as you need to…Then, sit down and read or listen to Sun Tzu – he did the work for you, c.2,500 years ago. The least you could do, is read him for free.
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