Last Saturday I attended a Candidates Forum with candidates running in various local races. Two Republicans. Two Democrats. Two Green Party. The Libertarians were MIA as usual. Candidates introduced themselves and fielded questions from the audience.
The candidates were all equally frustrating. I suppose in the grand scheme of things I prefer a thief to a murderer, and in that sense I fall on the left side of the spectrum. But the political murderer must first steal the money to buy his weapon, and the political thief must first threaten the tax cattle with death if they don't pay. So, neither has my moral sanction.
But what's your answer? What is the definition of government? What are it's essential responsibilities and limitations? I believe that Obama was correct when he said, "What essentially sets the nation start apart (from the private sector) is a Monopoly on Violence." This comes from Max Weber's book "Politics as a Vocation" where he defined government as "that entity which claims a monopoly on violence in a given area.” What's your definition?
Hey there! Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.
When you create an account, we remember exactly what you've read, so you always come right back where you left off. You also get notifications, here and via email, whenever new posts are made. And you can like posts and share your thoughts.
Sign Up
Bookmarks