Government is a Necessary Evil

I was listening to a political podcast recently in which this phrase was discussed. "Government is a necessary evil."

We've all heard that before. We seem to accept the truth of this statement. Maybe it is a phrase that people on all ends of the political spectrum can agree on.

But it's fascinating to dig into that innocent phrase a little bit further. Is it really true? Do we all agree with it?

I tend to look at it like this: That statement is only HALF right!

Problem is, if I just leave it there, most people would still agree with me. You see, different people would disagree about which half is correct. The founders of this country knew the evils of government, but we are only re-discovering them (those that don't understand history...). Therefore, I would delete "necessary" from that phrase.

What about you? Do you agree with the statement, or do you think it is only half right? If the latter, which half?! :)