"Patriotism is a kind of religion; it is the egg from which wars
are hatched." ~ Guy de Maupassant The Function of Government and
the Criminality of the Justice System Aside from national
defense, most limited-government libertarians say that the only
legitimate function of government, in a free society, is the
criminal justice system ' the police, courts, and prisons. To
me, this system seems like one of the first ones we should
scrap! Libertarians generally understand that the importance of
a service does not mean it should be provided by the state. We
often argue that specifically because such services as
healthcare and education are so very important for the happiness
and well-being of individuals, we must do all we can to prevent
government from intervening in these areas in ways it hasn't
yet, and to remove government where it has already made a mess.
Although all libertarians seem to understand these reasons for
keeping healthcare and education in the private sector, many
seem to believe that protectin