Command Or Cooperation
In general terms, there are two prevalent types of governments. Those where citizens have freedom from government interference and live in a state of mutually-rewarded cooperation with each other… and those where there is less freedom and many rules of conformity, which are commanded by a centralized authority.
Each has problems… but I choose the one with more freedom any day.
When there is freedom, there will be those who take advantage of it… at the expense of another… and one of the tasks government must assume is to enforce such encroachments.
When the government is a restrictive one, the problem becomes WHO makes that determination? You might say “the government”, but that’s just an entity… some PERSON within the government will make the rules. And that is the problem. Even as in a free society, there will be abuse. When the power is in the hands of a few people, the potential for abuse remains but the EXTENT of the abuse is much more far-reaching. It is the foundation for dictatorships and such.
While the former is not perfect, the latter is inherently flawed.
Aside from the obvious advantages of living in a more open society, the primary advantage is that power is placed in the hands of MORE people, not less. By spreading power among many, there is less chance of it being abused.
