Why Governments Discourage Self Reliance

"Self reliant people never favor the taxes that allow governments to become totalitarian." - Gene Logsdon

Globalism and modern society have no interest in promoting self reliance.

Oh, there is quite a movement for small industry: the farmer's markets, the individual crafter, the soap maker, the stone carver.  People proudly go (and even more proudly proclaim that they are going) to such things and supporting "the local guy/gal".  But even within this back to smallness and "rurality" (yes, I just made that up) note the underlying assumption:  we are all part of a big group trying desperately (if we are socially conscious, of course) of not being big.

The ideal of being self reliant - of not depending on anyone else  especially, good heavens, any government - is completely set aside.

Why?  Because self reliant people are not dependent people.  They not only generate some or all of the things they need for living from themselves or their efforts, they have come to rely on themselves - not some large bureaucracy of any nature - to supply their needs.  Life is a thing to be managed - but life can be managed by their efforts.  They look (I think) with scorn upon the idea that they need someone else to do something for them - or perhaps just as relevant, some one else's permission to do it.

And thus the hatred of taxes - indeed, of anything that prevents them from taking action to supply their needs or drains from them the ability to provide for themselves to provide for someone else.  It is worth noting, I think, that totalitarian governments - or, for that matter, totalitarian administrations of any social structure - have never thrived where they did not have the ability to tax (and tax heavily).

And thus the need to strike down self reliance, be it in the form of preventing the use of water on your land or heating with wood from your land or eating/selling the products that you or others have grown or made.  It is why cities promote solar but insist you are still wired to the grid, why barter is frowned on and cash more and more spoken out against (cannot have people doing things with their money that the government cannot see).  It is why government programs come into existence but seldom - hardly ever - die.  Ultimately they need you to be dependent on them, because then the taxation and regulations become something that they are benevolently doing on your behalf - not something that they are imposing on you with the force of law.

I am not self reliant at this point for 99% of the things it takes for living.  I am working on that.  And I can tell you that I have friends around the world working on it, seeking to live more by the efforts of their own brows - and doing it.  It is a noble, never ending quest, worthy of whatever effort we can make, even if we cannot get there.

Ask yourself, you who question my logic:  When was the last time you heard a government - any government - espouse self -reliance as a noble good and societal goal?  If not, why not?  Surely if this led to a greater good it would be something that would be promoted?

And yes, I do suspect that if more people were self-reliant, there would be much less toleration for the taxes that enables governments to enforce their will on others.