On Government

What is wisdom of the ages? Sadly, wisdom of the ages are lessons we mere mortals can’t seem to learn. History repeats itself beginning in biblical times, and life lessons from the Bible are republished in every history book ever printed. The primary difference is that over time technology changes, but human foibles remain the same. The nature of human beings’ behavior has remained unchanged since Cain and Able. Once government was first instituted, the nature of government has also remained essentially unchanged.

George Washington clearly understood the potential problems when human foibles mix with government

"In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one class of citizens to give to another." ~ Voltaire

"The art of government is to make two-thirds of a nation pay all it possibly can pay for the benefit of the other third." ~ Voltaire

Voltaire voiced those words over 500 years ago, and they were as true in biblical times as it is today. In biblical times money or goods were taken from everyday man to fund those who controlled them. In modern times, it is to take money from everyday men and women to fund the controllers and the constituents who keep the controllers in office.

“The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

Here is an important question. During your adult life, how many Presidential administrations have met Jefferson’s standard?

“Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” ~ George Washington

"Occupants of public offices love power and are prone to abuse it." ~ George Washington

"But if the laws are to be so trampled upon with impunity, and a minority is to dictate to the majority, there is an end put at one stroke to republican government, and nothing but anarchy and confusion is to be expected thereafter." ~ George Washington

"The last official act of any government is to loot the treasury." ~ George Washington

George Washington clearly understood the potential problems when human foibles mix with government. He even predicted what Barack Obama and Joe Biden might do. When Obama entered the White House, the U.S. national debt was about 11 trillion dollars. In his eight years in office that debt grew to over 20 trillion dollars. 

When Joe Biden took over the White House, the national debt was 27 trillion dollars and when he departed the debt was over 36 trillion dollars. Half of the national debt at the beginning of 2025 was incurred during the 12 years of Democrat rule. That sounds a lot like the Democrats were looting the treasury to me. How many federal Democrat elected officials became millionaire during those 12 years? That is not passing the smell test for me.

"Does the government fear us? Or do we fear the government? When the people fear the government, tyranny has found victory. The federal government is our servant, not our master!" -- Thomas Jefferson

"I think myself that we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious. Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have” -- Thomas Jefferson

“The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases. The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first." -- Thomas Jefferson

"Men by their constitutions are naturally divided into two parties: 1. Those who fear and distrust the people, and wish to draw all powers from them into the hands of the higher classes. 2. Those who identify themselves with the people, have confidence in them, cherish and consider them as the most honest and safe, although not the most wise depositary of the public interests" -- Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson’s description of the two-party system is right on

If Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, thought there was too much federal government in the 1800s, what does that say about the American government in 2025? Of course, President Trump and DOGE are working hard to remedy some of the government waste, fraud, and abuse, but the problem will likely not get resolved in the next three years. Jefferson also noted his concern that the government could become the enemy of the people, and I would go so far as saying he was right. The primary purpose of modern government is to perpetuate itself, not to serve the taxpayers.

Jefferson’s description of the two-party system is right on. The socialist Democrat Party certainly doesn’t trust the people; in fact, they fear the people, which we saw up close and personal during the socialist Democrat Biden/autopen administration. On the other hand, President Trump and his MAGA gang do trust the people, and are working hard on behalf of We the People to put government back in its proper role.

"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite.”--James Madison

"Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government." -- James Madison

Madison nailed it. However, somewhere along the line the federal government started usurping states responsibility, the states ceded their responsibilities to the federal government, and/or even the people allowed their responsibilities to be moved to the federal government. Charity, for example, belongs to the people. Neither the states nor the federal governments should have any hand in charity. The federal government in 2025 is bloated with activities it has no constitutional business being involved in.

“Show me a man that gets rich by being a politician, and I'll show you a crook.” ~- Harry S. Truman

“A leader in the Democratic Party is a boss, in the Republican Party he is a leader.” ~- Harry S Truman

"Every time that we try to lift a problem from our own shoulders, and shift that problem to the hands of the government, to the same extent we are sacrificing the liberties of our people."-- John F. Kennedy

"The more things a government undertakes to do, the fewer things it can do completely. When the government tries to do everything it must do everything badly." -~ Henry Hazlitt

"If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools." ~- Plato

These words from men far wiser than me can be applied to almost any time in history. However, humans being human, we just can’t seem to retain the lessons of the past. Age has taught me that every generation thinks they are smarter than all the generations before them. Well, history demonstrates that they are wrong, and human beings make the same mistakes their forefathers made before them. We may be able to do things stronger and faster because of technology, but we can do them no better.

Government is what it is, will continue as is, and will always be the same. George Washington probably had the most corruption free American government in our history. Every government since has had corruption to greater and lesser degrees. I see nothing on the horizon that will ever change that.