“Our founders, in the words of Thomas Paine, recognized that, Government, even inits best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.” — Walter E. Williams
I think we can all—maybe—agree that government is, as Thomas Paine said, “necessary.” Occasionally…um, rarely…uh, once in a lifetime?...government does something good. “If all men were angels,” James Madison said, “we wouldn’t need government.” But, woe is humanity, some people (we call them “Democrats”) refuse to be angels, and thus we sometimes must call upon the forceful hand of government to protect us from those non-angels who would do us harm. And sometimes governments succeed in doing that.
And sometimes, in doing it, governments do more harm than good.
Everything the government does it does by force. It must have money to operate, and eventually, it gets that money by forcefully taking it from its citizens. I don’t know anybody who pays taxes out of the goodness of their hearts. Yes, we generally consider that having police, fire departments, infrastructure for the economy, a military to protect us from foreign (and sometimes domestic) monsters are necessary, “good,” things. But how many of you add a little extra every year to how much taxes you pay because you want to do more “good”? Most people I know strive to pay as little in taxes as possible, and a whole bunch of Americans don’t pay any at all and hope they can get away with it. We don’t pay taxes because we love the government and love giving it money. The IRS doesn’t exist as a church or charitable organization.
Our Founding Fathers were believers in freedom, so much so that they led the world through the principles they proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, in the abolition of chattel slavery. And they believed the greatest enemy of freedom was “power,” or government, because government must have some power to accomplish its purposes. Government passes laws, and laws restrict freedom—that’s what makes government dangerous or “evil.” Of course, some laws are necessary because there exist the non-angels out there (Democrats) who, without restraint or the fear of punishment, will abuse freedom and harm others. But still, to the Founders of America, there is only so much “power” in a political system. People's “power”—your right to do as you choose—is called “freedom.” Government “power”—the right of government to restrict our choices—was called “tyranny.” True “freedom” is a virtuous freedom—people doing the right things because they are the right things to do in harmony with the virtuous laws God gave us. A country doesn’t need laws against virtue, only against evil. Thus, the more virtuous the people are, the less government force is necessary. Hence, the most freedom possible.
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This is why John Adams wrote, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Because the Founders believed in freedom, they limited the power of that entity that can restrict freedom—government. But by limiting government, a country needs moral, virtuous, religious people. The less virtue in the people, the more government will be necessary. If you haven’t noticed that in 21st-century America, then you’ve been asleep for almost 25 years.
And, of course, the problem becomes even more severe if the government is composed of non-angelic people. James Madison made this abundantly clear: “The aim of every political constitution is, or ought to be, first to obtain for rulers men who possess the most wisdom to discern, and the most virtue to pursue, the common good of the society, and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust.” The first thing we must do—if we must have a government—is to make sure we select the men with the most wisdom and virtue, and the second thing is to make sure they stay that way as long as they hold public office.
Do any of you readers see that in Congress, Washington, D.C., or even in your state or local governments?
Madison would have been greatly disappointed (if he saw America today) with another matter he believed in: “I go on the great republican principle, that the people will have virtue and intelligence to select men of virtue and wisdom. Is there no virtue among us?” If the people aren’t virtuous, chances are pretty good they aren’t going to elect virtuous leaders. Indeed, “is there no virtue among us?”
So, yes, at its best, government is a necessary and dangerous evil. It takes away our freedoms; in some cases, that is good (we don’t want murderers having the freedom to murder). Government becomes necessary in such cases. But if government leaders are as non-angelic as the people government is designed to protect against, then who protects us against government? It will become evil in the “necessary” things it is supposed to do. And when the government is filled with Democrats (evil people), it can, in its worst state, as Thomas Paine said, become intolerable. As it was under Joe Biden.
Our Founding Fathers taught us what to do—be virtuous. A virtuous people will be free and won’t need much government. A virtuous people will elect men of virtue and make sure they remain that way in their term of office. But if there is no virtue among us…a necessary evil becomes an intolerable one.
“The future and success of America is not in this Constitution, but in the laws of God upon which this Constitution is founded” (James Madison). Yes, we’ve forgotten—and ignored—that as well.
My substacks are a little unique. Not just current events, but history, our Founding Fathers, what America was meant to be, and Biblical exegesis. Check them out. “Mark It Down! (mklewis929.substack.com), and “Mark It Down! Bible Substack” (mklbibless.substack.com). Both are free. Follow me on “X”: @thailandmkl. Read my western novels, Whitewater, River Bend, Return to River Bend, and Allie’s Dilemma, all available on Amazon.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
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