When a private individual meditates an undertaking, however directly connected it may be with the welfare of society, he never thinks of soliciting the cooperation of the government, but he publishes his plan, offers to execute it himself, courts the assistance of other individuals, and struggles manfully against all obstacles. Undoubtedly he is often less successful than the State might have been in his position; but in the end the sum of these private undertakings far exceeds all that the government could have done. Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America [1845]
Alexis de Tocqueville was right then. Unfortunately, advances in technology since then has changed everything. The individual’s capacity for mass murder has been growing exponential since the invention of metal, chemistry, biology, and computers now enables individuals to become super powers instead of nations. And the most powerful governments in the world can now be beat at their games of war, genocide, and mistreating minorities. cw
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