SOMEWHERE IN-BETWEEN
The answer lies somewhere in-between these two extreems of belief. However, I strongly question that government has any business "providing security," primarily because it is nearly impossible to do so.
Except in the very minimum requirements of social organization, such as the intersection example above, government should quit pretending it can protect the social and economic well-being of the population under its authority.
Everytime such a bag-of-tricks is sold by government, the people and enterprises involved in the organization of the project, gain far more benefits and money than the people whom the program was promised to help.
I suggest that there is (within every problem of "society freedom" vs. "society security") a graphical point where these two cross each other. This would be the point where minimum loss of freedom is exchanged for maximum security, and would be the maximum possible loss of freedom allowable under only the most extreme of conditions.
Because security is consistantly over-stated by its advocates, I suspect a society could successfully use a "minimum loss of freedom" as a guiding rule in formulating the graphical point of a practical "middle of the road."
And this is my conclusion. Government (society) must be contained within the limits of providing security only on the condition of an absolute minimum loss of freedom to the individual member of society. Admittedly, this is subjective. But I believe it could be a result of requiring that no other solution is available from any source, with less loss of freedom.
With this in mind, it should be remembered
that
Individual Freedom Is
Inversely Proportional To The Percent Of Taxation The Individual Is
Forced To Pay.
For example: If a government taxes 100% of your resourcess (income), you have lost ALL of your freedom. If you could live where there was absolutely no taxation, you would live in total freedom. In the first case, you would have total "promised security." In the latter, you would have only what security you provide for yourself. NOTE: Self-provided security is almost Always better coverage than government "promised security."
One other thing you should keep in mind is that the percent tax you pay
is not just income tax;
licenses, fees and permits are also a "tax."
Include such items as Social Security Tax, State Income Tax, Sales Tax, Vehicle and Driver's Licenses, Building Permits, Real Estate Recording Tax, Business Licenses, Professional Licenses, Real Estate Land and Improvement Tax, Dog Licenses, Gasoline Tax, Business Inventory Tax, Burning Permits, Marriage Licenses, Estate Taxes (this one can be a whopper), and on and on and on and.....
I have never attempted to add up all of these charges the government makes against our income, but I am sure they would add up to 65 or 70 percent.
-
So if you want to increase your personal freedom (regardless of
what government you are under), work to reduce the taxing power that
you are subject to. For every percent reduction in your taxes, you will
gain a percent increase in your personal freedom.
