Exempt From Basic Morality
When I talk to people about government, they’ll often readily agree with me that the state is violent. They recognize that the state performs certain violent activities – like waging wars, jailing people for victimless crimes, and other overt aggression. But that’s not what I mean. Not entirely.
Every action taken by government is violent. Not just the obvious ones. Every rule, regulation, statute, edict, or law will ultimately be enforced at gunpoint. Whether you see the gun or not, it’s there. And violence will be used against you for failure to comply.
The state is not benevolent. It’s entire existence is predicated on the fact that it will use force against its citizens to achieve its goals. You and I are not allowed to use force to get others to do as we wish. We call this the Non-Aggression Principle. Why should those individuals who comprise the state be exempt from this basic morality?
Groups, majorities, the divine right of kings, does not make an immoral act moral.
Skyler