Don't steal, the government hates competition

"Don't steal, the government hates competition." Wise words. But why does government hate competition?

First of all, that statement extends beyond theft - to all manner of activities.

From its very birth as a territorial monopoly on the use of 'legitimate' violence, the government hates competition. And do you know why government hates competition?

Because it fears it.

If one day, Lo and Behold the irreplaceable government has been supplanted by another entity that does a better job at a lower price, then how will government justify its necessity? The necessity of evil is one of the two prime pillars upon which rest all justification for government.

Don't Steal, the Government Hates Competition.

The government doesn't hate theft because theft is wrong.

After all, theft (euphemistically called taxation) is how the government funds itself.

No, the government hates theft because when you steal, you're cutting in on their action! It's like a mobster who wants to make sure he's the only one getting paid protection money.

Don't steal, the government hates competition.

At the root of its fear of competition lies incompetence. No one who feels that they can hold up to competition has anything to fear from it. If anything, competition animates the spirit and challenges us to become better than we thought we could be.

But not the government. People who work in government don't want to become better, why would they? Their job doesn't depend on it.

Those bureaucrats will remain in office almost regardless of what they do. Something very serious has to happen for an apparatchik to be dismissed. Think back to the last time you read about police brutality. Did the officer in question go to jail for abuse and assault? Probably not.

What puts us regular mortals in jail will at worst lose a police officer his job. Sometimes he'll just get a slap on the wrist in the form of a paid vacation during the investigation. (Paid vacation? That's not a slap on the wrist - that's a friggin' reward!)

The government can afford to hate competition.

After all, the government has the ultimate monopoly - the monopoly on the use of legitimate force. With that monopoly, the government doesn't have to beat a business or entire industry fair and square. They just need to bully them. Government can confiscate their assets (nationalization), and write laws making business impossible for them.

Ultimately, the government and the people who work for it hate competition because they're incompetent, corrupt, and don't care in the least about the people they're supposed to be serving. Serious competition would immediately provide a stark contrast, making the government's so-called 'public service' even more farcical than it already is.

Competition is a force that benefits the customer and the client.

Government is a force that puts corrupt, incompetent people in positions of coercive power. Power over those of us who have to make a living the good old-fashioned way - by providing value to others.

So as we can see, even the relatively simple words, "Don't steal, the government hates competition," hide within them a wealth of meaning.

And of course only Ron Paul would have the courage and honesty to put up a sign like that on his desk.