A Few Thoughts on Government and Politicians

• There will always be some who acquire more wealth than others, regardless of the form of government. The form of government only determines who will have the opportunity.

• There is an inverse relationship between the power and control exerted by a government and the wealth and autonomy of the citizens. As the power and control of a government increases the ability for an average citizen to independently direct his life and acquire wealth decreases.

• Governments and politicians always seek to gain power and exert control. Every emergency, both real and perceived, will be used as a reason to expand authority.

• A government cannot legislate the laws of economics out of existence any more than they can legislate gravity out of existence - regardless of the form of government those laws still apply.

• The most productive economy will always be the one that uses its resources most efficiently.

• A person who bears no responsibility for bad decisions has no incentive to make good decisions. The more powerful a politician becomes and the harder it is to remove him from office, the more insulated he is from bad decisions and the more inefficient and subject to corruption he becomes.

• It is almost impossible to have a power at your disposal and not use it for your benefit. The greater the power available, the greater the temptation to do so. Regardless of its stated use and their stated intent, assume every power given to a government will be used by those in power for their benefit.

• Corruption in society is inevitable, but a corrupt businessman is less dangerous to society than a corrupt politician under any form of government.

• The immorality of an action is not changed by politicians passing legislation making it legal. Morality and legality are not the same.

• Always assume a politician has his best interests at heart. The more he insists that he is doing what is best for 'the people,' the more likely he is lying.

• Under no circumstances should a single person or organization have control over more than one of the following branches of government: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. Likewise, under no circumstances should a single person or organization have control over more than one of the following forms of authority: political, military, and religious.