State Power and Social Power

From a book being composed by Brian McLaughlin there is a line that sums up our problem. Regarding the promises, plans and programs of politicians: "They have an immediate and temporary importance, and for this reason they monopolize public attention, but they all come to the same thing; which is, an increase of State power and a corresponding decrease of social power."

"State power" is government, politicians and bureaucracy over the person; "Social power" is the person freely interacting with other persons and voluntary groups such as clubs, businesses, churches and recreational groups.

" It is unfortunately none too well understood that, just as the State has no money of its own, so it has no power of its own. All the power it has is what society gives it, plus what it confiscates from time to time on one pretext or another; there is no other source from which State power can be drawn. Therefore every assumption of State power, whether by gift or seizure, leaves society with so much less power; there is never, nor can there be, any strengthening of State power without a corresponding and roughly equivalent depletion of social power.”