What I fear most are affirmative actions of sober and well-intentioned men, granting to government powers to… — Robert A. Heinlein
What I fear most are affirmative actions of sober and well-intentioned men, granting to government powers to do something that appears to need doing.
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In writing your constitution let me invite attention to the wonderful virtue of the negative! Accentuate the negative! Let your document be studded with things the government is forever forbidden to do. No conscript armies... no interference however slight with freedom of press, or speech, or travel, or assembly, or of religion, or of instruction, or communication, or occupation... no involuntary taxation.
At one time kings were anointed by Deity, so the problem was to see to it that Deity chose the right candidate. In this age the myth is "the will of the people" ... but the problem changes only superficially.
Seems to be a deep instinct in human beings for making everything compulsory that isn't forbidden.
