It is easy to hold fond sentiments of humanity and the majority of individuals when government is small (or non-existent). People are just trying to get along, provide for themselves and carve a small niche in this world. Any shortcomings, delusions, flaws, or misplaced emotions can often be disregarded and ignored. We can see our shared humanity and have empathy for each other’s existence.
Once large government comes around things radically change. Shortcomings turn into theft, delusions turn into violence, flaws turn into centralized policy, and misplaced emotions turn into mass murder. When this happens it is hard to care about our shared humanity and have empathy for each other. No longer is your neighbor a little kooky, she is now someone employing the violence of government to harm the people that she would’ve otherwise tolerated.
The incentives of government brings nukes to a disagreement. What might have otherwise been some rough emotions and an eventual negotiation turn into both sides doing whatever they can to grasp power. Whoever wins gets everything. This incentive ends tolerance. This incentive ends our emotional aptitude for seeing our shared humanity. Now, all we see is our neighbor’s hands around our throats, squeezing until we lick their boot.
Without democracy, the power of government wouldn’t devastate our social relationships. It is an individual’s perceived power to control government that spreads violent intent through the culture. With a monarchy we could easily blame bad policy on an evil entity in the distance. With democracy we blame bad policy on our neighbor.
Some people try to see the shared humanity through it all. This seems noble, but sadly, it is mostly delusional. The ultimate power of government stops people from negotiating with one another and it makes it so one person, one side, one view, one policy must win. Democratic government makes people act against the interest of their neighbors, not by sway or trade, but by violence and compulsion. It is hard to see the humanity in the person who is forcing their views onto you. It is delusional to act like we can still just get along and respect our shared humanity … the system doesn’t let us. The system pushes people into social warfare with their neighbors through an institution that does what it does purely by employing violence.
