Ralph Caldwell of Turner has a point (”In Turner, a faith that Trump will stay the oppressive hand of government,” Oct. 9). Why would protection of an endangered species be more important than his freedom to use his land any way he chooses? Why? Because that is exactly the sort of personal, self-interest that in a greater sense is now causing the rapid destruction of our planet.

But I digress. Caldwell’s view of government is far bigger an issue at this point in time than is his selfish disregard of how his actions impact on all the rest of us. And he is certainly not alone. I apologize for using him as a poster child. Others share his idea of the purpose of government that simply disregards demographic reality. People living in a wilderness have to provide for their personal subsistence, self-protection and secure shelter. They live and die in their wilderness on their own and alone.

There are things people not living in a wilderness can’t do or don’t need to do for themselves. In concentrated populations, as happens to be the case in most of the world today, individuals find it difficult to grow all their own food, can’t personally defend against all their enemies and can’t just build any type of habitation where and how it suits them. That’s because everything individuals living in a population do impacts others. Individuals not living alone in a wilderness need governance, because without governance there in as an anarchy of self-interest.

Populations must have and must pay for the cost of a government. And those costs aren’t all monetary. Many services needed by populations can’t be done efficiently or at least cost, like a business. Government isn’t a business and can’t be run like a business. Not even by a big business tycoon.

Jim Chiddix

Waterville

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