【金句】Ludwig von Mises - The worship of the state is the worship of force...

連結

• 來源1 - x.com/sfliberty/stat...

• 來源2 - oll.libertyfund.org/...

The worship of the state is the worship of force. There is no more dangerous menace to civilization than a government of incompetent, corrupt, or vile men. The worst evils which mankind ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments. The state can be and has often been in the course of history the main source of mischief and disaster.

崇拜政府就是崇拜力量。對文明最危險的威脅莫過於由無能、貪污或惡劣的男人所組成的政府。人類曾遭受的最糟糕的災難都是由壞的政府所造成。在歷史的過程中，政府可以是，也常常是災難和混亂的主要來源。

整段

It has been necessary to dwell upon these truisms because the mythologies and metaphysics of etatism have succeeded in wrapping them in mystery. The state is a human institution, not a superhuman being. He who says “state” means coercion and compulsion. He who says: There should be a law concerning this matter, means: The armed men of the government should force people to do what they do not want to do, or not to do what they like. He who says: This law should be better enforced, means: The police should force people to obey this law. He who says: The state is God, deifies arms and prisons. The worship of the state is the worship of force. There is no more dangerous menace to civilization than a government of incompetent, corrupt, or vile men. The worst evils which mankind ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments. The state can be and has often been in the course of history the main source of mischief and disaster.

有必要詳細闡述這些常識，因為國家主義的神話和形而上學已經成功地將它們蒙上了一層神秘面紗。政府是一個人類機構，不是超自然的存在。說到「政府」，就意味著強迫和強制。當有人說：「這個問題應該有法律規範」，他實際上是說：「政府武裝力量應該強迫人們去做他們不願意做的事，或者不讓他們做他們喜歡的事。」當有人說：「這個法律應該更嚴格地執行」，他實際上是說：「警察應該強迫人們遵守這個法律。」當有人說：「政府是上帝」，他實際上是將武器和監獄神化了。崇拜政府就是崇拜力量。對文明最危險的威脅莫過於由無能、貪污或惡劣的男人所組成的政府。人類曾遭受的最糟糕的災難都是由壞的政府所造成。在歷史的過程中，政府可以是，也常常是災難和混亂的主要來源。