Liberty and Property.pdf - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

Liberty and Property 35gangsters whether of domestic or of foreignorigin. Government is not, as some peoplelike to say, a necessary evil; it is not an evil,but a means, the only means available tomake peaceful human coexistence possible.But it is the opposite of liberty. It is beating,imprisoning, hanging. Whatever a governmentdoes it is ultimately supported by theactions of armed constables. If the governmentoperates a school or a hospital, thefunds required are collected by taxes, i.e., bypayments exacted from the citizens.If we take into account the fact that, ashuman nature is, there can neither be civilizationnor peace without the functioning ofthe government apparatus of violent action,we may call government the most beneficialhuman institution. But the fact remainsthat government is repression not freedom.Freedom is to be found only in the sphere inwhich government does not interfere. Libertyis always freedom from the government.It is the restriction of the government’s interference.It prevails only in the fields in which