The Greatest Trick The Devil Ever Pulled…

The state has pulled off some equally remarkable feats when it comes to convincing the public that they are needed. I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that they have been able to do it so well. From the time you are born you are put into the system, without your consent. You are inundated with government propaganda through all your formative years. And then you are told that all of that was done because YOU run the government.

Into the Matrix

The first thing you get when you are born is a state issued birth certificate. It shows that you are a person now and that you are a legal citizen of the state. Then you are given your income tracking card, some people call it a social security card. That plugs you into the government taxation system, even though it will be many years before you earn any income. Once upon a time you could wait to get your government number until you got ready to earn income, but now you have to get it earlier, just in case I guess.

Indoctrination

Certain collectivist types are pushing for earlier childhood education. In other words, they want your kids sooner. When the government says that children are “our” greatest resource, they mean “our” as in the governments, not the families, not the communities, not the parents, but the governments. From an early age the children are taught more about how to act and interact within the framework of government institutions than they are taught critical thinking. The time spent teaching math, science, language, and other needed skills to survive in the real work take a back seat to being taught to be obedient citizens who will go along with the program. I don’t think anyone would disagree that government education is all about social engineering.

In the late 1800’s, William T. Harris, commissioner of Education, summed up government schooling. “Our schools have been scientifically designed to prevent over-education from happening. The average American [should be] content with their humble role in life...” I think that sums it up pretty well.

Acceptance

Even some people that claim they would like to see nothing more than the end of government have no problem accepting the authority of the government and even participate in government institutions and programs. This is from that early indoctrination. Somewhere deep in their being they can’t get over the programming that says government can be used for a force of good, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

Mention abolishing government programs like the FDA, FCC, Department of Education, USDA, etc. and prepare to watch peoples heads explode. They can’t envision a society without those things. Heaven forbid that people should be responsible for what they put into their bodies, or for educating their children themselves. “YOU NEED SOMEONE MAKING SURE BUSINESSES DON’T FEED US POISON!!!”

The idea that we could buy our food from people we know, and do business with businesses we can actually trust, is a foreign concept. Personal, individual responsibility is such a scary prospect to them that the mere thought of taking any for themselves strikes fear in their hearts. George Bernard Shaw said it well, “Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.”

Even the minarchists fall into this trap. They can’t see how things like justice and defense could be handled by the free market. Even though on some issues they have no problem pointing out numerous examples of government over reaching their bounds into the pockets and liberties of the citizens, they can’t give up that early indoctrination that says there are certain things that only the government can provide. For whatever reason, they can’t see that their arguments for a limited government are the exact same arguments for a huge government.

It is like any other protection racket though. “We will make sure that your liberty is protected, just gonna cost you this much.” But it never costs that much and eventually you have to go along with whatever they demand.

I think the idea of providing a limited government that cares for certain things is a wonderful idea. Finding a way to keep that government limited seems to be a harder prospect. There are some great people in the limited government movement, but none of them will ever have the power or opportunity that the founding fathers had, not while they are trying to work within the current framework of politics. But along with buying into the concept that there are certain things that the government can handle more efficiently than the market, they have bought into the other false concept, that the people control the government.

“And like that, POOF, he was gone”

I have full faith that the market can supply me with the pair of shoes I want. I have no less faith that the market can supply me with the justice and defense I want too. The difference is that on the market, they will actually be the ones I want, whereas under the current structure, I can only have the justice and security that the government is willing to provide. Not the best that the market can provide, but the overpriced crap that always comes from that type of monopoly on power.

At the end of “The Usual Suspects”, the head investigator finds out that everything he thought he knew about the case was a lie. By then of course, it was too late. The bad guy got away.