<delete if this subject does not give you heart-thumping thrills> From: Elton Wildermuth It's not the case that any use of force defines a government. It _is_ the case that only government pretends to be the sole arbiter of who may use force, and how much they may use. ...................................................................... There must exist cause which would inspire the use of force by an individual, and there should exist just cause for the use of it by a government as well. Realistically there should be a recognition of when it might be logical to resort to violence against another human, whether as an individual or as a group. Only a government pretends to be the sole arbiter of who may use force; of course, everyone is supposed to have agreed on what justifies the use of it, but this is interpreted to mean that individuals themselves are not considered wise enough to make that decision at home alone. So they're back to a defense-less state against potentially overwhelming odds. Blanc