The Guts of Government

Since this is a blog about politics, it will be useful to set out what my basic understanding of government is.

I like studying the past, particularly the early civilizations. So when i'm thinking about issues of today, i often try to conjecture how things started. My assumption being that the true nature of a thing can best be seen in its origin. This is the approach i've used when asking myself, what is the most fundamental purpose of government?

The way i see it, the most fundamental purpose of government is to impose order. This is probably why our earliest ancestors created the concept. They needed a way to minimize conflict within the tribe, and lead conflict against other tribes. So a chief or a king was given the power to enforce cultural values on those who didn't embrace them willingly. And he was given the power to conscript the society into a fighting force in times of external conflict, or to make deals on behalf of everyone else to avoid conflict.

Okay, that's how i imagine the beginnings of government. I don't claim for a second that this conception is scientifically generated. I do, however, think it's rational, and accurate in a very rough, broad manner.

So, how does that inform the way i think about government and political issues? It leads me to believe that government is, by nature, oppressive. When it's doing its job well, it's oppressing activities that are destructive. However, that oppressive power has no inherent properties that restrict it to destructive activities. It can very easily oppressive other activities, as well.

This makes me suspicious of government. This suspicion arises about government itself, before we figure in any of the policies of a particular government, with which i may or may not agree.

So my attitude towards government tends to the negative. I don't think it is an evil, unless perhaps in the sense of a "necessary evil"; but i certainly do not think of it as inherently good. It does, when working well, contribute to the construction of society. However, it does so through oppressive and usually violent means. At best, government is like a root canal. It is very unpleasant, expensive, and to be avoided if possible, but sometimes necessary to avoid worse problems.

Against The What?

Welcome to my new political blog. What does the title mean, you ask? It's lifted from the conspiracy/paranormal writings of David Icke. Icke's contention is that the leaders of our world are part of a vast, century-spanning conspiracy perpetrated by inhuman, reptilian creatures. These are the reptoids.

Do i believe that our politicians are literally reptillian creatures? No. Do i believe that they often act as if they are? Yes. In short, i'm co-opting some of Icke's imagery because it makes an excellent metaphor for some broad trends i perceive in politics. It expresses the distance between representatives and the people they represent.

I won't dwell on this metaphor much. I just like it's dramatic value. And i like stuff that sounds weird.