Love America. Hate the government. A little oxymoronic much?
America is the government. The government is America.
Without a government, there’s no constitution, and by extension, all the other laws on the books. Without laws on the books, there’s just land and people doing whatever the fuck they want on it.
Without people gathering together to form a more perfect union, i.e., more perfect governance of their world, i.e., government, there wouldn’t be an America to love or a government to complain about and rail against when life doesn’t go your way.
In a world without government, choose your poison.
English rule. Sharia Law. Anarchy. Violence. Population-decimating diseases. Warlords. Really angry natives. The church!
Or how about this alternate universe: your ass having never been born because your parents and their parents and their parents never got a shot at any kind of American dream because, you see, without governance, you’re comfortable little 21st-century, whining-and-complaining-about-government ass wouldn’t have it so cushy when it comes to the very real game of survival.
Of course, at times, government is going to be imperfect, corrupted, corroded, slow to change, too quick to rush to judgment, careless, neglectful, full of red tape, rude, imposing.
What—you want it should not be human?
Of course, at times, government is going to be helpful, supportive, unbiased, organized, efficient, fair, engaging, life-saving and life-sustaining.
What—aren’t you glad it’s human?
And aren’t you glad that, as humans, we have the ability to change, to improve ourselves and our government, to keep what works and work on what doesn’t?
Private enterprises build private enterprises. Kings build empires. Governments build civilizations, places where we can be all kinds of things, rather scared little monkeys just trying to make it through the day.
Because without government, it really is a fucking jungle out there.
For another take, check out the Sins of Big Government.
Randy Boyd author 