"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." ~ H.L. Mencken
Hating the State and Loving Liberty
"More important, if we are too focused on hating the State, we might overlook or downplay all kinds of privateactivity that restricts liberty. Yes, the State has a monopoly on legitimate coercion, but coercion takes place in many other contexts as well, such as domestic violence. Beyond coercion, there’s privately expressed racism, sexism, and anti-Semitism that, even when nonviolent, can impinge on people’s pursuit of their life projects."
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The author would be more convincing if he actually loved liberty unreservedly. His love is conditional, however. He thinks the state actually does some good.