On Government Parasitism

A clever and effective parasite will not only feed on its host as long as possible, but will do so in such a way that removing it will be fatal. As long as the parasite can stretch its tendrils into the most vulnerable organs of its host, the host will be forced to sustain it if it wants to remain alive. The analogy that government is a parasite is oft made by libertarian types, and for very good reason. The most clever and effective governments are those who stretch their tendrils into every part of society in such a way that removing them is perceived as exceedingly dangerous, and deadly. A few examples of these parasitic tendrils are central banking, foreign military interventionism, public schooling, the welfare state, retirement “savings”, consumer and employee safety regulations, and occupational licensing. Can this government parasite ever be removed? Probably not without causing its host some degree of pain and suffering. I suppose all the host can do is either wait for the parasite to engorge itself to the point of suicide, or find ways of making each of its many tendrils ineffective through obsolescence. And that’s today’s two cents.

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Founder and editor of Everything-Voluntary.com and UnschoolingDads.com, Skyler is a husband and unschooling father of three beautiful children. His writings include the column series “One Voluntaryist’s Perspective” and “One Improved Unit,” and blog series “Two Cents“. Skyler also wrote the books No Hitting! and Toward a Free Society, and edited the books Everything Voluntary and Unschooling Dads. You can hear Skyler chatting away on his podcasts, Everything Voluntary and Thinking & Doing.