3 September 2007

Government and the Culture of Death

While sitting in a cafe in Santorini, a Greek island, I noticed how the owner offered his product to anyone even if they spoke a different language. The merchant and the customer people found a way to complete their transaction to the satisfaction of both. I can only imagine how the government would react to such a customer.

Of course, the products offered in the free market are much different than those offered by government. The market's products are open to anyone, while the government seeks to license and regulate in order to exclude, to the detriment of most, all but a favored few. There are also other important differences. First, in reality the private sector is the only productive sector, as government can produce nothing. And, second, the private sector must persuade or entice you to do what it wants, or to get what it wants, by making its products appealing and full of life, while the government offers the opposite: lifeless and sterile products. Because government has no motivation except to gain power over you, it produces only pieces of plain white paper with black ink that force you through threats, fines and licenses to hand over your money while getting nothing of value in return. If this isn't exploitation, then I don't know what is.

Government handles every transaction as a zero-sum game where only one side - the government - benefits from a transaction. In normal and honest society we call this behavior theft. Here again, the free market trumps government because transactions are handled such that both parties get something they value. Of course, the simple fact that such trades are made tells one that they are totally voluntary, no matter what an outside observer might think. Everyone involved benefits.

The art of persuasion that is exemplified in the free market is by its very nature a peaceful act that promotes more of the same. Persuasion, of course, is just one example of a positive unforseen outcome of the free market and its disdain of force. That is why the products it offers are so enticing and full of life. It represents value to all of us. In other words, we will exchange a bit of our life for theirs, so, we get life for life. In our dealings with the government we are offered nothing or death and, as with death, we get nothing in return when we give up life. The inescapable conclusion is simple: government is death.

(other articles are archived on my Writings page.)

Rebecca Iocca

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