While we need some form of rule of law and independent body to appeal to for complaints, there is no question that government is by far the evilest invention ever created by humankind. When you actually look at how government begins, it allows us to see that the heart of the problem is always greed and power. Today, police officers can find numerous excuses to charge you with something simply because they personally dislike you. The Fed is fighting hard to keep $167,000 that they simply stole from an individual after a traffic stop who was never charged with any crime whatsoever. This is outright criminal activity on the part of the government. Judges are hopelessly corrupt in their judgment for they are appointed by government, and therefore are expected to do the government’s bidding. My father took a judgeship in a local town when I was a kid. The politicians complained that he did not impose the maximum fine on everyone who appeared in court. He quit because he would not do as they commanded. Guess it was in the genes.

King Solomon was renowned for his wisdom, yet this story from the Bible illustrates the origin of government and the role of the king they play. At this point in time, the king was the benevolent father of his country. He was there as the independent judge for private disputes since he did not benefit either way from any decision. There were no fines to collect, as this gives the government an incentive to ensure you are guilty. He fulfilled his obligation as king — to be there FOR THE PEOPLE — not against them for personal exploitation.

Even in ancient Greece, something like murder was never a state crime. To be prosecuted by the state, such as Socrates, required theft from the state or offending the gods, which was Socrates’ crime. If someone killed anyone in your family, it became your DUTY to bring a prosecution — not the state’s. This separation between public and private acts restrained the state and is the reason why there were family feuds, largely in Eastern European culture. If someone in my family killed someone in your family, then your family was within its right to retaliate against ANYONE in my family. So the act was not personally punishable but rather one family against another. This was the origin of the concept of the feuds.

There was also the ancient practice of “deodand” whereby the object that caused the death of another was donated (forfeited) and sold to pay for the funeral of the victim. Under this doctrine, the chattel (property) involved in the accidental death was forfeited to the crown and sold to pay for prayers to the departed. It was not for the personal benefit of the crown, as is the case today. Our modern governments have usurped religious power as far as having the ability to seize property, but it no longer has anything to do with its origins. The government has replaced God and the money is simply theirs. Today, civil asset forfeiture is an out crime against the people by a greedy totalitarian state as judges reach back to claim an ancient power torn from its origins to benefit the government. There is no longer an accidental death doctrine in which the proceeds are donated for prayers. This is just grabbing the money, which no longer serves any moral purpose besides filling the pockets of government and police pensions.