The function of government is to serve the people

[Morbius]

10. Look, I don't want to start a fight, but...

The function of government, any government, is to protect the people. Protect the people not only from external threats but also from themselves, frankly. Conservatives will bristle at the notion that government is there to serve the people but they will agree that government must protect the people.

Now, defining protection is something which invites debate. Protecting people from predatory lenders and corruption is a gimme, I think, and I also support protecting the people from unfair deprivation - social systems which do not offer fair opportunity to people who aren't white male Christians. And there's more, too.

People need protection from predators in their community as well as in the marketplace and outside the nation. Even in places where central government is ineffective, people choose protection in the form of tribal chieftains. Protection is why governments exist, not service. Government absolutely should not be treated like a business; businesses exist for the sole purpose of producing profit. There's nothing wrong with that but it's a completely different goal than governance.