Most people will admit that nearly all current forms of government, no matter which kind or in which country, are some combination of inefficient and corrupt. That is, assuming we are all talking about the same thing when we say government. To really have a worthwhile discussion, we must be clear about the definition of this word.

Using the word government to define the power that some exert over others is an example of the masterful use of language to shape how people think about a phenomena. By using this word, government, the idea that there should be power invested in some people to control other people is made both palatable and necessary.

The truth is that when we apply the idea of governing to an individual regulating himself, it is considered a very good thing. To have authority over one’s own impulses or reactions is not only good for relationships, but it is good for the person. In such restraint and regulation, there is a much wider possibility of choices that can bring great benefit. Without self governance, a person would not choose time dependent priorities, such as eating well, working reliably, or taking care of children.

It is when one person decides to govern another person that we have conflict by the nature of human individuality. Each individual has his own mind, preferences, and abilities. No two people experience life exactly the same way, nor do they have all the same insights into what is going on around them.

Any combination of individuals can choose to come to an agreement. However, if someone does not agree, what then? What are the criteria for deciding that a person no longer gets to make his own choices? Is it because he is out numbered? Is it because someone else is convinced of the rightness of a given choice? Is it because of divine inspiration?

To force a person, by actual violence or by real threat of violence, to act a certain way, is to enslave him to the power of others. There may be degrees of how many aspects of daily life this affects or there may be degrees of how much this interferes with the pursuit of livelihood, but just because a slave is allowed to sing while he works that does not make him any less a slave.

For the bulk of the population, the lure of accepting the government of some people over others is the promise of order and justice in our individual interactions. For a few, the lure is the reins of power. We know that that few get their power, but do the rest of the people get their order and justice? And, just as importantly, what are the options to get order and justice?

Even here, we must consider definitions. Due to the good meanings of the word government, some people who talk about the violently imposed authority of political systems like to use the word state instead. According to my dictionary, the word