You occasionally hear people use the phrase “there ought to be a law” or “the government should …”. But what does that actually mean? What does it imply?
To give people the benefit of the doubt, what they probably think they mean is, “I think the world would be a better place if [something].” But what does it actually imply when we bring government into it?
When we bring government into the equation, a statement like that basically translates into something like the following:
I wish X. I’m not actually willing to put my own time, money, effort, etc. into actually achieving said thing, but I am quite happy to have other people be forced to comply with whatever our rulers decide is required to make my wish come true.
So next time you or someone you know says “the government should” or “there ought to be a law” remember, that implies the use of force.