Common Sense: An uncommon book review(Part 2)

We now turn from introductory comments and into the beginning of Paine's main argument.  He starts with a commentary on the differences between society and government, the first being the natural formation of persons into social compacts and the second, the outcome of growth and expansion from society.  He states, "Society is produced by our wants and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices."  He goes on, "Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one: for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer."
I think it is important to examine this in greater detail.  First, Paine saw government growing out of the need to restrain the vices of men.  By consequence then, the more moral the people of their own accord and aligned with the goals of Society(as defined above by Paine), the less need we should have of government.  On the other hand, as moral degradation occurs and society loses its positive uniting of affections, it will lead to the growth of government in an attempt to fill that void.  Today, we see this working itself in American society, where traditional morality bolstered by the strength of churches, family and general society is under constant assault.  While these assaults are couched under the name of equality, advancement, and civility, they are nothing more than moral breakdowns which entice the government to both fill the void left by these traditional institutions or lead to that same government forcing control where it is not required.  Instead of the existence of minimal government as a necessary evil, the entire governmental apparatus has not only begun the transition, but continues to evolve into the bloated, intrusive worst case condition which Paine described as intolerable. 
Paine continues, "wherefore, security being the true design and end of government, it unanswerably follows that whatever form thereof appears most likely to ensure it to us, with the least expense and greatest benefit, is preferably to all others." 
I think it is clear that Paine would not recognize the ideal and true design of government in what we find in the United States today.  I would venture to say that security is no where near the top priority of our government and in this I am not talking about just the most current administration or a current party, but almost all persons and level of government from the federal to the local level.  For example, while we spend a lot of money on the military, their actions are often utilized in the support of indirect threats that may or may not have real, tangible impacts on national security.  At the same time that we move around the globe as the world's policeman, our very own borders are a sieve and there is no telling what matter of actual threats have crossed into the country.  Even worse is the economic security of the country which, at the hands of an unchecked Federal reserve, a bloated debt that in no way could ever be paid off, and the gutting of our industrial base among other things, is deplorable.  What about something less tangible but event more important like securing the inalienable rights of the citizenry.  In this area our government has failed as well with religious freedom is on the brink of extinction, freedom of the press being trampled on by government interference, and the 2nd Amendment coming under continual attack just o name a few.  Security of the family, fading quickly; security of the church, the same.  There is almost no area that I can think of that is more secure than the past other than ever increasing size and grip of civil government.  And this growth and discontinuity between the ruling class and the citizen IS the problem because, as Paine wrote, the best government was the one that delivered security with the least expense and greatest benefit.  Instead of the least expense and greatest benefit though, we, as a people have traded our own responsibilities and liberties for a government that is bloated, debt-hungry and provides a fraction of the benefit per dollar that we are spending.  With every dollar that we send to Washington D.C. we take another dollar out of the hands of the individual citizen and to what end, certainly not the national and personal security that Paine references.  Before we merely jump on those who have taken advantage of the situation, do not forget that we have allowed it to happen and the government has only been all too happy to capitalize on our apathy.  While Paine warned about the danger from an unchecked England, the fact is that the threat to the American citizen is more immediate and all-encompassing than what ever faced the colonists.  Paine wrote to the colonists in his time to explain both what they should look for in a government and what to be rightfully worried about.  If his words echo true today, the only question we need to ask is who is listening?