My point is, where the legitimate role of government is not being fulfilled, we need to see more government action.
Allow me to quibble further: We need to see more action in defense of those rights and public prerogatives whose defense we have historically trusted to governments. However, government efficacy and efficiency in defense of those things has been extremely spotty. Indeed, it’s open to debate whether the police function — whose municipalization only goes back to the early 19th centure (Sir Robert Peel) — should continue to be trusted to an entity with no incentive to perform and the shield of “sovereign immunity” behind which to hide its misdeeds.
For a fascinating exploration of the alternatives, including a great deal of information not generally known even to students of justice, I recommend Bruce Benson’s book The Enterprise Of Law.
