[flyash]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

History is also littered with the results of anarchy and lack of social order.

I’m not suggesting no government at all.

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Governments are not by definition evil, and condemning them all because of the bad deeds of some isn't fair or reasonable.

Governments are run by people. Power has a very strong tendency to corrupt people. We should assume it will happen and be grateful if it doesn't.

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Governments do function best with reliable, public oversight... something the worst offenders of governments did/do not have. The U.S., for example, is set up to provide reliable, public oversight in most cases, and when used, has proven to be effective.

However, as citizens become more complacent and willing to let others do the heavy lifting for them, oversight has been neglected, and when it is, bad decisions are often made.

So, instead of condemning all governments, we should be condemning the citizens that cede their duty of oversight, and allow the governments to abuse their power...

I agree that citizens have collectively ceded their duty. But consider the creeping nature of government encroachment. Many things seem justifiable to the citizenry at the time, with very few imagining how this would be used in the future (secure digital identities being a perfect example). Also, consider how little an informed individual’s vote counts against the monied interests that influence the elections and simply buy politicians.

Lastly, consider that the government (and big business) propaganda/marketing techniques have become very powerful over the last century. Much of it is now aimed at the subconscious – and this is very difficult to defend against, even if you are aware of the techniques used.

That said, the citizenry have a duty to keep themselves informed and educating others. But I wouldn’t count on the masses to get smart enough to prevent government abuse of power.