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The Anatomy of the State

By: Murray N. Rothbard - Read: August 19, 2024 - Rating: 8/10

Concise first-principled explanation of the role of government. Takes an anarcho-capitalist lens on the view of the state.

The state is the entity that siphons resources through coercion and intimidation as opposed to production and trade. It requires intellectuals to uphold its place in society and fears the opinions of independent dissenting individuals. Attempts to check the power of the state with any sovereign body inevitably lead to the eventual expansion of state power.

This negative characterization of the state may fail to acknowledge a few genuinely positive and important functions that the government carries out, but it is directionally correct, non-consensus, and highly insightful.