The optimal form of government is zero government: anarchism. This is not a utopian fantasy but a pragmatic diagnosis of a fundamental flaw in all centralized systems. Wherever power is concentrated in a parasitic middleman, corruption becomes inevitable. This dynamic is famously articulated in Lord Acton's Dictum: "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." History serves as a vast graveyard for well-intentioned leaders and revolutionary movements that, once they consolidated power, became the very tyrannies they sought to overthrow.
This corruption stems from several unavoidable truths about the state:
- Incentive Structures: Governments control vast resources, hold a monopoly on legitimate force, and can write laws that benefit specific groups. This creates an irresistible incentive for individuals to seek power not for the common good, bu