Is government a necessary evil?

Essay by jschmidt97High School, 11th gradeA-, October 2014

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Political activist, author, and theorist Thomas Paine once said "Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one." One could argue that government is most definitely necessary, but not an evil. Government is what establishes our rules and without it the world would consist of barbaric animals. On the other hand, with too much government control, the world would see the decline and, eventually, disappearance of our rights and freedoms.

Without government, the world would not be able to sustain the quality of life without establishing some sort of social and political issue. If the world descended into anarchy today, it would establish a new government tomorrow, either through mutual consent or through despotism. Family would establish order. Then a community would form some sort of small government, and over the years they merge and create nation-states. It is in human nature to make order out of that which is not.

On the other hand though, early humans and homosapiens survived centuries without any form of government. There could have possibly been a simple form of government with unwritten rules and competition for power, but no true government similar to what we have today was in place.

As a human race, we could survive, maybe even thrive, without government. Our very early and primitive ancestors, the creators of the most basic tools of survival used today, found a way to survive without a set government in place. With the technology given to us today, and better methods of communication, it could be possible that we could survive much easier without a government. Being without government could also very easily eliminate currency, making our world as equal as ever. There would be no more debt, both national or personal, and those considered...