The Central Issue

As life becomes more complex, the scope of the state must increase to meet public needs-a fact of life. People argue over countless particulars, specific health care fears and financial fears, to mention a couple. In these arguments, they lose sight of the real problem: what should the scope of the state be-that area of your behavior subject to state control. An examination of our history reveals that regardless of administration, the scope of the state has and will continue to increase. Anyone who says, "I want less government" is expressing fear and ignorance. Let's examine the underlying assumptions and apply reason. They want less government because they fear that government is bad, corrupt, and subject to the 1001 natural shocks that flesh is heir to. In this regard, they have good cause for their trepidation. What we all want is a government with as little scope as possible, knowing full well it is increasing. If we accept the increasing scope of the state, then we can have more rational control over how it expands. To deny it will lead to confrontation that produces little results, of which today's events bear witness. We must out grow these reactionary tendencies, so commonly found in the U.S. today, or face the alternative-the fate of all great empires that preceded us. The alternative is even worse-leaving it to the individual-anarchy. Remember, the corporation is an individual. Granted, neither alternative is pleasing, but anarchistic tendencies are worse; they cannot be as easily controlled or modified. At least with government, an educated public has the opportunity to modify the negative proclivities of government. The problem is exacerbated by progress-rapid change in a pell mell fashion. We never needed good government more than now!

A simple anecdote to show the problem: If you are on a forty foot sail boat and everyone can see the life boat, do you need a very detailed plan of what to do in an emergency? Off course not! You all would go to the life boat and get on board. However, if you were on a cruise ship, would you need a plan? Off course you would, or else there would be utter chaos. The government is your plan. Reject it at your own peril. So, give up the sailboat, it has seen its day, and get on the cruise ship or be left on the dock as other ships of state sail away into a brighter future that could have been ours.