B A S I C    P O L I T I C S   USA

101

It is an agreed to premise among political theorists and people in general, that in order for a government to secure certain benefits for its citizens, a certain intrusion into the citizens’ absolute liberty must and will be tolerated.

This intrusion, though, which on the one hand contains the promise of much good, if mis-used, is fraught with the potential to do great harm.

Government does not exist as an abstract, but is composed of people. And as people are capable of corruption, so then is government capable of corruption.

And corruption saddled to an opportunistic excursion into the people’s liberties has the potential to manifest itself in such manner as to limit the people’s ability to protect themselves, thus giving government free reign to do great harm.

So that a proper balance may be maintained between the good and the harm that a government may do, it is demanded of the citizenry that they limit and routinely oversee those intrusions a government is permitted.

This is the only means by which the people in a free republic may enjoy the benefits derived from government and at the same time reduce government’s ability to harm their well being.