The short answer is 'Yes'. Govt is BOTH the problem AND solution. Extremists want to push one extreme.. the anarchists say that ALL govt is evil & needs to be destroyed. The big govt progressives, socialists, etc, say that MORE govt is good, as it can mandate equality, justice, & fairness for all.
But reality is somewhere in the middle. SOME administration of the human collective is necessary.. an expense for the citizens to protect themselves from foreign aggression & domestic criminals. But TOTAL govt control is tyrannical.
The ideal solution is to have minimal govt interference, while securing our basic rights and providing efficient, cost effective national security. Those details is where the debates should be.. what level of govt interference do we want?
The problem is not the system.. it is man himself. If a society is moral, charitable, & has a strong work ethic, they will prosper in almost any philosophical system. But if greed, corruption, & selfishness become the dominant characteristics of the culture, it will decline, regardless of the ideals of governance. A nation in decline can only stop the downward spiral by promoting & elevating moral values. The family must be held in high esteem. Policies that protect & encourage strong families should be the goal of a wise governing system, not those that tear down the family & destroy the social fabric of the culture.
For decades, progressive ideology has been systematically eroding family values. Morality & traditional family structure have been ridiculed, mocked, & undermined by civil servants who are supported by the society they serve. Academia, govt, & entertainment have sabotaged the very society they pretend to promote.
The problem is anti human ideology, empowered by govt. The solution is pro human ideology, empowered by govt. Govt is not the problem, but the ideology behind it.
The idea of some new, altruistic man is always needed to populate an altruistic fantasy ideology. I mostly hear the anarchists and the progressives humming 'Imagine' as they present their ideologies. Most people see the world as violent, greedy, unjust, filled with oppression, death, war, & bullies. So they long for a NEW world.. one that is filled with peace, harmony, love, & fairness. The progressives think that more government power can usher in this condition, while the anarchists think the state is the CAUSE of the problems. But neither is true, completely. More govt power, using corrupt, greedy, self serving humans only furthers corruption, greed, & selfishness. Less govt power, or eliminating it, only diminishes the deterrence for these same kinds of people to exploit others with no restraint. That is the quandary we are in. Corrupt, greedy, aggressive humans build a system of corruption, greed, & selfishness. So we need a 'New Man'.. a new human that somehow voluntarily restrains himself.
Big govt progressives want govt to usher in an age of peace & harmony, which they cannot do, as they merely reflect the people they represent. That is why america has become so corrupt.. as the nation's values have declined, our governance has followed. But eliminating all collective restraints or justice does not create a new man. You will not suddenly have everyone holding hands & singing kumbaya. You can 'imagine' this all you want, but the observable reality is that humans are selfish & greedy, & will exploit each other if they have opportunity. The power of our collective justice system is even a feeble deterrence, as the rate of crime & incarceration shows.
In the history of the world, a religious people with strong morals & tenets of altruistic care for their fellow man have brought the most 'fairness' to man. In places where these people form governments, those values are reflected in their collective system. Even monarchies, where the king is benevolent, god fearing, & sees himself as a nurturer & protector of his people, has more justice & approval from the people than a corrupt democracy.
As long as there are humans in the world, & they retain their historical humanity, there is little hope for a utopian dream. We are stuck playing 'Imagine' over & over, hoping some day the others will join us, & together we can live as one.
And of course, this just addresses the fantasy of anarchist ideology.. that of voluntary harmony & peace. The REALITY of anarchist ideology is more violent. Anarchists do NOT hold hands & sing kumbaya, they throw bombs & destroy things. They are filled with rage & hate cops, the govt, & any form of authority. So the conflict between what they say, & what they actually DO, is very similar with those who worship the state. Both pretend to want peace & love, but both are filled with hate towards the american system of self rule & limited govt.
HUMANS are the only 'entities' capable of infringing people's rights. Any criminal, any lawbreaking cop, any unjust bureaucrat, any corporate cog can violate people's basic rights. Those rights are only 'protected' by the power of those in control. If it is no one, then only your individual power can protect your own rights, unless you organize & form an alliance which people would do in any breakdown of law & order.
Even an unjust law does not violate anyone's rights, until & unless it is enforced. And it takes HUMANS to enforce it. No social laws enforce themselves.
What most people want is a fair, efficient, impartial system of justice. It has taken millennia for us to arrive at where we are. Reverting back to 'might makes right' only moves us backward in our social evolution. People wish to be free to live their lives, & keep as much as their property as possible, not wasting it on unnecessary protection & nanny state mandates. But anarchy does not deliver justice. It brings chaos & disorder. People prefer despotism to chaos & disorder.
Humans have lived in bondage & oppression from kings, dictators, generals, parties, caliphs, juntas, & as many governing systems you can name for millennia. Most of history man has not live with much 'liberty' as we in america know it. It is a fading memory, to be sure, but it is real, for now.
Societies have formed from time immemorial WITHOUT the concept of individual liberty. Freedom is not a privilege, nor is it something given by anyone. It is something that a determined people decide to TAKE. That is what we did in america, & if enough of us can keep the flood of socialists & anarchists from destroying the nation from within, we can keep it alive for a while longer.
No one who sits on their butt pontificating about their right to be free is ever free... only those who fight for it. Even then there is no guarantee.. many people have lost their lives in the fight for individual liberty, & it has taken thousands of years for us to arrive at a system where it can even live. Why? Because fighting for liberty does not pay. It is a battle for the altruistic.. those who will give of their lives to see their children, neighbors, & countrymen free.
Self absorbed, self seeking opportunists will not fight for human liberty. Nor will rogue males outside of mainstream society. These types only look out for their own selfish interests. Individual liberty is not one of them.
Liberty and power are in eternal enmity. Liberty is defensive and power is offensive. Power is an armed aggressor. Liberty stands empty-handed, in need of unselfish champions at all times. Power is alluring and inspires both fear and worldly reverence... Those who rise to power, and in power ride rough-shod over the rights of men, seem always to stand in marble on our public squares while those who carry the torch of liberty rest in unmarked graves. ~R. Carter Pittman
Extremes sees govt as the solution OR the problem. Those who are more practical see govt is BOTH the problem & solution.
Anarchy: 'Govt is the problem, therefore eliminate the state & there will be no problems.'
Progressivism: 'Greedy capitalists are the problem, therefore empower the state to take their stuff, divide it evenly & there will be no problems.'
American: 'Man is the problem. Make a system of checks & balances to minimize corruption & thereby minimize the problems'.
But balance is boring. Extreme measures, with dramatic overtones are more exciting. Massive explosions, shocking values, & radical departures from social norms have more appeal than minor tweaks. As the culture has declined, so has the system. It merely reflects the values of the people.
