Bovard makes it clear that governments all over the world have abused their powers and that coercion and liberty do not go hand in hand. If one group gains from a government program, someone else has lost. Government officials routinely lie, connive, and deceive the public. History shows that governments don t work this way at all, yet the na ve public still continues to believe whatever it is told. The last two chapters wrap up the book with the author giving some thoughts on the ideal political order and why we should all take government power and coercion seriously.
Government is an institution of force , plain and simple.
We need to place as many barriers in the way as possible, to make sure that government bureaucrats cannot interfere with our rights as individuals. Our rights have been slowly dwindling over the past century, and we need to realize that this expansion of government power is a very real threat. Bovard is a very good writer, and he states things in ways that make sense to most readers. He is quite negative throughout this book, just like he is in his other books. I didn t like this book quite as much as its predecessor, Lost Rights , but it s still a good book.