Government Shouldn't Be There To Protect You From Yourself

By Chris Rossini

It's being reported by Vox that: ​​

"In 2014, America's opioid painkiller and heroin epidemic led to nearly 29,000 opioid overdoses, causing nearly two-thirds of the record 47,000 drug overdoses that year."

​Obviously, this is not a good thing. 

But instead of government looking at itself as a major cause to drug problems in America, it very predictably looks to "do more" to "help". Of course, government can truly help by completely ending the Drug War, but where's the fun in that? Cronies won't get their contracts and politicians won't get their power rushes. 

No, better from government's perspective is to instead shovel money down the drain and pat themselves on their backs for "helping" with such a serious issue.

Vox gives us the bad news:

...the Obama administration on Tuesday proposed a $1.1 billion plan to boost the fight.

​Now, you might think to yourself: "Come on...$1.1 billion is chickenfeed...the U.S. military empire blows through $1.1 billion before breakfast! Why worry about this issue at all."

This is very true. Other areas of government waste our hard-earned money at a much more rapid pace. But this author wants to focus on the philosophy that's involved here, even if it's over a measly $1.1 billion.

Misplaced faith in government has metastasized to a critical level. Liberty cannot and will not thrive when individuals believe that government is there to protect them from themselves. 

If someone has a drug addiction, it is not the place of government to get involved. Once that door is opened, government can then grab even more power by claiming to help any addiction. Why stop at drugs? A whole new frontier opens up for bureaucracy, waste and cronyism.

Instead, entrepreneurs should be completely unfettered and allowed to deal with all rising problems as they occur. Entrepreneurs already solve our most pressing problems as it is. And they do so with the limited resources that are left after government wastes what it has stolen from us. 

It's miraculous what free individuals are able to do. Entrepreneurs spot where demand is high and jump in headfirst to satisfy it. If there's a rising drug "epidemic," it presents a huge opportunity! But once government grabs power, it likes to fence off anyone else that can do the job much better...and you know, actually do the job. 

Finally, and this may be hard for the government faithful to come to grips with: Asking government for help with a personal problem, or to perform some good deed, is like asking a mugger for directions to the safe part of town. Government is not a good institution. It steals (taxation), lies (elections), kidnaps (conscription) and commits mass murders (wars).

Why would any rational person ever seek "help" from such a barbaric institution?
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