One of the worst of errors would be the general admission of the proposition that a Government has no right to interfere for any purpose except for that of affording protection.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Protecting the rights of even the least individual among us is basically the only excuse the government has for even existing.
An error is the more dangerous in proportion to the degree of truth which it contains.
Without the ability to talk about government power, there's no way for citizens to make sure this power isn't being misused.
Mistakes, after all, are endemic to foreign and military policy given the unpredictability of events and the difficulty of securing reliable information in a place like Iraq.
Clearly there are always unintended consequences of any legislative or regulatory act that's taken in the heat of battle.
The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.
I, for one, will remain constantly vigilant of a government that admits its transgressions of liberty only when they are caught lying.
It is better to destroy one's own errors than those of others.
It is a universal and fundamental political principle that the power to protect can safely be confided only to those interested in protecting, or their responsible agents - a maxim not less true in private than in public affairs.
It is not the function of the government to keep the citizen from falling into error; it is the function of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error.