Government Intrusion
I think the majority of people would agree that we don’t want the government to “intrude” in our lives… but the definition of intrusion is apparently very different for some of us.
To be sure, government touches all of us in many, many ways every day. Whether it is the set of laws governing our behavior on the streets and highways as we go to and from work or contract law enabling business and commerce, we are exposed constantly… and that is fine. I don’t consider that intrusion. In fact, these are good examples of where government allows us all to live a more organized, productive, and safe lives.
Intrusion can be overt… police pounding down the door…or subtle… a small, new tax or fee. While the former could possibly occur (and undoubtedly does in some countries) and is the food for paranoia (and good movies!)… it’s the latter that I am far more concerned about. Troopers storming the door attracts a lot of attention and the media would be all over it. Blatantly oppressive government actions are hard for our government to “get away with”. A small increase in an obscure tax, however, seldom gets seen by the public and is only nominally “felt” (yet another light touch in the pocketbook).
I fear government agents breaking in and taking me or my things far, far less than government actions stealthily sneaking in and taking small amounts of money from my wallet, even while I sleep (figuratively speaking, of course).
At some point, many small actions add up to a significant action. Taken alone, a single tax may not seem bad… might even appear to be good… but taken as a whole, a multitude of tax “bites” become a burden.
But, as important as it is, this is only the monetary intrusion on our lives. Government intrusion can take many other forms… here is a small sampling:
- When the curriculum in schools begins to include social engineering… especially of a type contrary to my personal beliefs… the power of government is being used against me (AND I’m paying for it!).
- When a court, for all practical purposes, creates a law rather than interpreting an existing one as it was intended by our legislature, it is surpassing the limits of its authority.
- When the tax code favors or punishes a particular action (use of money) in response to a concerted lobbying effort, it is manipulating decisions I might otherwise make and is quite likely to have unintended consequences.
For the most part, I prefer for government to stay out of the way. I’ll pay my fair share for the services it provides, but I really don’t want any “extra services” and certainly don’t want to pay for them. When I perceive the need for extra services, I generally look to a dedicated organization to provide those… and give it my support.
