Government Junkies

Let me be your ruler
You can call me queen bee
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule
Let me live that fantasy
--Lorde

John Stossel discusses actions of "government junkies" that interfere with the lives of individuals. The classic word for government junkies is statists--people who prefer political power over social power.

Political power is use of force to either coerce people to do things that they do not want to do or to prevent people from doing things that they do want to do. Social power is voluntary cooperation among people that creates spontaneous order and freedom to create.

Government junkies are motivated by various things. The obvious one is material benefit. By using the strong arm of government, production can be confiscated from others. Government junkies can take possession of the stolen resources themselves, or they can redistribute the booty to others who serve their interests.

Government junkies might also be captivated by the prospect of ruling others. They reap psychic income from feeling the power--the power to govern.

Finally, government junkies may lack confidence in the capabilities of others. They feel that others are too stupid, too selfish, too near sighted to govern themselves. They need guidance from people more capable of deciding for them.

Fully absorbed in the planning fallacy, government junkies believe themselves qualified to run the lives of others.