People act as if the government possesses magical powers that can solve all of our individual and social ills. All this mythical entity has to do is wave its wand and all our problems vanish in a blink of an eye. I know-most people would state that this belief is ridiculous. However, is that what they really think? I can prove that the majority of people act as if this were true.

How many times have you heard someone say "Government ought to do something?" I don't know about you, but I've been hearing that statement all my life. If you ask them what government should do they tell you that they don't know-but government ought to do something.

When enough people believe in "The Big Myth" or what some call "The Big Lie" there will always be charlatans that claim they know what ought to be done. These charlatans usually practice lifetime occupations called politician, intellectual, bureaucrat, world-improver, do-gooder, altruist, etc. Government needs the support and propaganda of these "professionals" to endow "The Big Myth" with a potency of its own. And of course, the deluded citizens wait in line to receive their shot of the "cure."

What Government Is Not

Government is not some real life Santa Claus that dispenses gifts upon its citizens- despite the fact that intellectuals and altruists claim otherwise. It may seem that government is performing this magical feat, but this is an illusion of limited consciousness.

1. Government has absolutely no wealth of its own. And it is unable to create any wealth. The only money it possesses is money it receives from its citizens through taxes and inflation. It can also sell bonds on the open market- however, it is obvious that the funds it receives from this operation is diverted from productive ventures into government coffers.

2. Since it has no wealth of its own how is it possible that it can dispense "goodies" to its citizens? By taking the "gifts" from its citizens in the first place. When the hapless voters support another government program and vote for politicians who "promise" to institute it, they are unwittingly confiscating themselves.

3. Government is obviously not a Santa Claus figure. It is actually an evil Robin Hood. Even the supposedly good Robin Hood is a thief. Forcibly taking from an individual or group to give to another individual or group is immoral, no matter what justification do-gooders and altruists spout to support it.

The Nature of Government - What It Is

1. Government is the apparatus of violent compulsion and coercion (force). Its only legitimate function is to protect an individual's life, liberty and property.

2. Voluntary and involuntary exchanges are the two possible types of interaction between people. In a voluntary exchange all parties enter it of their free will. Government shouldn't interfere in this type of exchange. In an involuntary exchange at least one party is in it against his or her will. Robbery, rape, murder, extortion, etc. are examples of involuntary exchanges. Government applies its apparatus of violent compulsion and coercion to arrest criminals involved in these anti-social acts. It is government's only legitimate function.

3. When people see social phenomena they disapprove of-social phenomena that results from voluntary exchanges they often say "Government ought to do something." What they need to realize is that they are supporting the use of violent compulsion and coercion against their fellow citizens. They are advocating liberty violations and restrictions against individual freedom. They have become liberty violators.

Conclusion

As you can see the statement "Government ought to do something" is dangerous and leads to massive violations of an individual's life, liberty and property. In fact the disastrous results we are experiencing in the form of economic crisis, war, restrictions on personal freedom, etc. are caused by the growth of that gigantic, destructive entity called "Big Government." Its citizens have allowed a "mythical belief", a simple five-word sentence to create a beast of mythical proportions-a beast that is destroying "The American Dream."