Government apologists claim it’s acceptable for a government to
do something that an individual would never be allowed to do. This
is why governments come up with special words to obscure what
they’re really doing. War is mass murder. If an individual commits
murder on their own, it is a crime and they should face consequences.
But if an individual commits murder as part of a massive organized
effort they might get a medal. Taxation is theft. If an individual
kidnaps you for not giving them half your income, they go to jail.
But if someone does that to you on behalf of government, they
get a nice salary as a tax collector. No justification for these actions
changes their fundamentally immoral nature. Nothing about the
“divine right of kings,” the “will of the people,” or the “rule of
law” has the power to justify an immoral act. Violent enforcers are
essential to governments because without them, their threats would
be meaningless.
