If you ever decided to leave the USA, where would you go?

[sbeaulieu]

Why would the state wither away like that? Why wouldn't it do what most states do: find new threats and new reasons for its continued existence and expansion? For instance, there are always social problems and there are always external threats -- and even if neither are that serious, new ones can be dreamed up or current ones exaggerated.

I don't disagree that the state would try to find new ways to sucker its population into supporting, through "voluntary" taxation, new problems or threats. Let's just hope that the public would be a smarter breed and see through the BS.

~ Shane

[dan2100]

Why would the state wither away like that? Why wouldn't it do what most states do: find new threats and new reasons for its continued existence and expansion? For instance, there are always social problems and there are always external threats -- and even if neither are that serious, new ones can be dreamed up or current ones exaggerated.

I don't disagree that the state would try to find new ways to sucker its population into supporting, through "voluntary" taxation, new problems or threats. Let's just hope that the public would be a smarter breed and see through the BS.

~ Shane

There's definitely an arms race of sorts between the rulers and the ruled. I also think there are definite limits to statism, especially under a competitive international order. (Which hints that the less competitive an internation order is, the less stringent the limits on statism.)