War and statism - friends forever

The love for the almighty "protecting", "just" and "democratic" (in some sense) State is a well known voice in modern politics. The State must provide, support, equalize, distribute and protect. The State must uphold the law, take care of the sick and the needy and show an example. The State must keep the individual from damaging himself with cigarettes, alcohol, racism and excessive spending. And above all; the State must keep the peace. But at what expense?

Without given any consideration for the monetary requirements of the just and all-knowing State, this love for the State has had, and will continue to have, enormous negative effects on all human society. The State created the atom bomb to protect and keep the peace. The State has nationalized the health care and educational system to simplify the amount of service and knowledge people seek for. The State provides us with general guidelines for, in most cases, normally non-violent actions. But at what expense?

The expense is: War, death and destruction.

When the governments of Europe and Asia, during World War 2, decided to push their own citizens into war with citizens of neighboring countries (and well outside that), the power of the State became clear. Economies of free trade and peace were turned into economies of war, many of the institutions of the free market were nationalized "for the sake of the war". By sending your citizens to the slaughterhouse you create a false demand for doctors and nurses - hence nationalizing the health care system becomes a must (never to be returned to the free market again). By sending young men to the battlefield you create an abnormal market for education, thereby creating the need to nationalize, and gradually minimize, the education system. Governments invent atom bombs, Tomahawks, battleships and bombers in the name of peace and protection - investments doomed on the free market but deemed necessary by the State to fulfill its own needs when it comes to protection of its citizens.

And this isn't just an old story from the 20th century. Today the front has been pushed even further, now reaching to the very individual, who can be a terrorist or pervert, both in need of surveillance and random arrests now and again. The "war on terrorism" is perhaps not the war of ground-forces and airborne fighters, but its real just the same, run by the State, run for the State.

Statism and war go hand in hand. Ask Bill Gates if he's willing to use some of his billions to create a new weapon of mass destruction. Even if he'd agree with the need for massive protection and massive strike-power against possible enemies, I doubt he'll go along, or even make the effort to gather his fellow billioneers together to sponsor the project. Why kill your possible customers? Only the State values such a possibility.