People cannot be protected; they can only protect themselves.

The more I watch the world around me the more obvious this truth becomes. It is impossible for a governing body to protect people from the ramifications of their own personal choices, but government has been trying to do it for generations. And the result? Botched wars on poverty, hunger, drugs, violent crime, and trillions of wasted dollars.

Some examples:

Government tries to protect people's health, so government bans trans fats and new fast food restaurant locations, and taxes the living crap out of liquor and cigarettes. But people are still getting fatter than ever because there are a million fattening foods that aren't fast food, and people are not exercising. And unless Big Brother wants to implement a mandatory calisthenics program a la 1984, people are not going to start to exercise unless they make the choice themselves to do it for their health.

Government tries to protect peoples' lives by banning handguns. "Call the police," they say, "and the police will protect you. They are trained to use firearms properly and won't accidentally hurt or kill you." There are so many things wrong with this logic. First of all, has anyone missed the recent rash of killings with tasers and other weapons by police? Who would you rather trust with a lethal weapon - an underpaid, underappreciated, overworked stranger or yourself? Second, the police are not stationed at your house. So when there is an intrder threatening your family's safety, would you rather protect them yourself with your own weapon or hide in the closet and risk being defenseless if found while waiting for the police to arrive?

Government tries to protect society from the effects of drug abuse and addiction. Government bans drugs. The result? The highest prison population in the world and an unwinnable war on drugs. Trillions of tax dollars utterly wasted. People still abuse drugs and become addicts.

Government tries to protect people from poverty. Government has spent trilliions on entitlements and foreign aid, yet (surprise) there are still poor people. Government sends food all over the world yet people still starve because this group steals the aid from that group. People will only rise out of poverty when they are tired of being poor and not one second sooner. Government charity doesn't help people ascent above poverty; it only serves to prolong it.

When you rely on someone else to protect you, to feed you, to make sure you're healthy and on the straight and narrow, you will invariably end up hungry, sick, and injured, becaue only you know the best solution for yourself. Only if you rely on yourself will you have the chance for achieving health, happiness, and contentment.

reply to post by sc2099


Yep! You are so right and government isn't getting any smaller. If we ever have martial law in this country people will seriously find out just how dependent they are. To lazy to work and you spit out five kids, no problem; section eight, foodstamps and free rent is for you. Here's your health card, paid by the real workers and taxpayers of the country. I see a dependent country that couldn't survive on their own and if they ever have to they will kill, steal and fight for what they get.

true anarchy.

i like it.