Editor:

Jason Lafon’s letter to the editor, “D’Amico misguided in views on government,” in the Sept. 12 issue of The Maroon is utter nonsense. Lafon makes two distinct errors, which I shall examine.

Lafon says that D’Amico’s “criticism of the typical peace activists for their government-based solutions is misguided in itself, due to the fact that removing government will certainly not put an end to war.” Lafon makes a serious miscalculation. Governments wage war.

Individual people, who have no government, have little if any ability to wage war.

Individuals cannot go about invading countries without weapons, which are provided by governments.

Show me a group, who has waged war or committed terrorist acts, which has not been funded, or backed up by a government.

Governments by their nature are coercive institutions. War is more likely to cease when people realize that government is not the answer to solutions.

Lafon later argues that “No matter what their political ideology, people should realize that taxes finance many essential parts of society, such as roads, schools, public transportation, police, and firefighters.”

While I agree that these are necessary parts of society, it is flawed thinking to believe that government is the only institution that can provide essential parts of society.

A true free market that has no government intervention will provide services in a more effective and efficient manner than any government agency.

Unlike government, private businesses have a motive to provide an effective and efficient service for its customers.

If a business does not provide this type of service for its customers, the firm will go bankrupt.

This will free up capital for more efficient users and make the economy stronger. In turn, making all of us better off.

Activists who have condemned the free market for failing and not providing the poor with essentials have been looking at a quasi free-market, where government has been intervening, in other words, not allowing the market mechanism to work.

When Lafon and others like him realize these simple facts, the world will be a better place for us all, because the government will not be running our lives.

Trey Raganeconomics senior