Ludwig von Mises summed up the essence of government in words that are particularly vivid in wartime: “Government interference always means either violent action or the threat of such action. Government is in the last resort the employment of armed men, of policemen, gendarmes, soldiers, prison guards, and hangmen. The essential feature of government is the enforcement of its decrees by beating, killing, and imprisoning. Those who are asking for more government interference are asking ultimately for more compulsion and less freedom.” What about those who are called upon to enforce state edicts, whether just or unjust? Every society includes … Continue reading Shoot or Be Shot