Government is a broker in pillage, and every election is a sort of advance auction in stolen goods.

H.L. Mencken

Continuing the libertarian trend for Friday quotes with the reminder that government can’t create wealth for the society. Government can only affect wealth in two ways: creating the regulatory/judicial environment. and forcibly transferring wealth from one segment of the population to another. The best that a modern government can do is foster a legal/regulatory environment that is good for business opportunities and not steal too much wealth to hand out to its supporters.