Myths/government is the source of all oppression
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| Myth: Government is the source of all oppression. |
The Myth
The argument seems to be something like this:
- government has a monopoly on force in our society.
- Business monopolies would not exist without government support.
- Therefore only government can coerce individuals into making choices they wouldn't make otherwise.
- Without government, therefore, individuals are free to choose the terms of their interactions with others.
- When individuals are free to choose who they interact with and how, no individual or organization would acquire too much power because people would stop doing business with them.
- Government therefore creates oppression through (a) its monopoly on force and (b) restricting how others may interact (e.g. by creating or encouraging business monopolies).
The Reality
- Government does not have a monopoly on force.
- Monopolies can exist without government.
- Business has many ways of coercing or persuading individuals to make bad choices.
The ultimate basis of this myth seems to be the firm belief that all political power – that is, the ability for one person or group to coerce other people -- originates with government, and therefore if you eliminate government there will be no political power. This is false.