Government & Physical Force
To say that the primary role of government is to exercise the legitimate use of physical force may sound a bit strange at first. But, with a little thought, it isn't at all.
A functional government of any kind (and there are many kinds) will provide the citizens of the state with two fundamental things: public order and state security.
What constitutes public order is defined by the laws of the state and the various civilian law enforcement officers are empowered to use physical force to ensure public order is maintained.
What constitutes a threat to state security is an attempt by individuals of the state to physically overthrow the government (rebellion) or the physical intervention of military forces of a foreign state into the territory of the state (invasion). The various militias of the state are empowered to use physical force to ensure state security.
Placing the exercise of physical force entirely in the hands of the government can be a frightening thing, resulting in such uses as political, religious and social imprisonment. We are fortunate in the United States of America, however, to have protection against such illegal exercises of physical force in all matters of public order and state security — except for rebellion and invasion — through the right of habeas corpus.
A writ of habeas corpus, you might say, is our national insurance policy against the illegal use of physical force by the government. Indeed, no other single right of the citizens of the United States is due more diligence.
A functional government of any kind (and there are many kinds) will provide the citizens of the state with two fundamental things: public order and state security.
What constitutes public order is defined by the laws of the state and the various civilian law enforcement officers are empowered to use physical force to ensure public order is maintained.
What constitutes a threat to state security is an attempt by individuals of the state to physically overthrow the government (rebellion) or the physical intervention of military forces of a foreign state into the territory of the state (invasion). The various militias of the state are empowered to use physical force to ensure state security.
Placing the exercise of physical force entirely in the hands of the government can be a frightening thing, resulting in such uses as political, religious and social imprisonment. We are fortunate in the United States of America, however, to have protection against such illegal exercises of physical force in all matters of public order and state security — except for rebellion and invasion — through the right of habeas corpus.
A writ of habeas corpus, you might say, is our national insurance policy against the illegal use of physical force by the government. Indeed, no other single right of the citizens of the United States is due more diligence.
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