Much of the confusion in current political discourse is attributable to a profound error inherited from Progressive Era thought. For early progressives -- and no less Italian Fascists and German nationalists -- the state was the true embodiment of the social will, the thinking, acting entity of which individual people are only one part. Many Americans still tacitly accept the idea, if only a watered-down interpretation of it, the state is coextensive with the people. For example, too many believe the government school in their neighborhood is the community’s school and the public library down the street really does belong to the public. In short, they believe the government’s property is owned by the people collectively, but if this were so, if there were some kind of enforceable agreement granting us concrete rights as citizens through which we might hold the government to account, then perhaps libertarians wouldn’t have to worry. Government would be a mere...(Read Full Article)