The state acquires money by force.  It requires all disputes be settled by only state agents.  This seems like a good position to be in.  It’s easy to see why one would want to be in this position.  It’s much more difficult to see why people would accept this.  Using force to keep the masses in subjection can’t last.  Control is kept by opinion.  The propaganda doesn’t start late in life.  It starts very early, as young as possible.

The state must keep people in their schools as long as possible.  It must be a monopoly.  People might begin to think for themselves if it’s not.  So, even those areas which have nothing to do with statism must be bought out too.  All educational institutions are brought under state control.  These state-run schools must last as long as possible.  Kindergarten to university is clouded in propaganda.  It’s easy to see why they are pushing for everyone to go to college.

The propaganda lasts your entire life.  They try to make the argument more sophisticated by saying it has positive neighborhood effects.  This is just ridiculous on two fronts.  State-run schools don’t lead to education, and would have negative neighborhood effects.  Also, the funds used to pay for state-run schools are paid for by force.  You can’t make men wise by depriving them of liberty.

More public goods come from less private goods.  Just because the state runs education doesn’t follow that the state can only provide education.  What if the state provided food?  Would you conclude that only the state can provide food?  Clearly, the market does this.  The market would provide education too.  This is done even though education is already paid for by force.  More of it would be done if the funds stayed with the true owner.

Propaganda is repeated endlessly.  As Mises pointed out, “Without knowing it, many people are philosophical Marxists, although they use different names.”  Mencken reiterated, “The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all; it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed a standard citizenry, to put down dissent and originality.”  Hopefully, I can wake people up from their slumber.

References

Hans-Hermann Hoppe; The Great Fiction

Auberon Herbert; The Right and Wrong of Compulsion by the State