Political projects by definition exist to mandate outcomes that are different than those that people would choose for themselves if left to their own devices. It was for this reason that the economist Murray Rothbard famously argued that political action by logical necessity never improves the overall standard of living, but merely elevates some preferences at the expense of others.”

“All of this renders the notion of consent somewhat complicated: In the voluntary exchange, we either consent to an arrangement or we do not. We enjoy what economists call the right of “exit.” Under politics, we are coerced into accepting outcomes that are different from the ones that would emerge under actual consent. But the social-contract metaphor insists that we consent to being coerced into accepting that to which we would not otherwise consent. (This is one of many reasons why real contracts—written contracts—are vastly preferable to imaginary contracts.)”

Excerpt From: Kevin D. Williamson. “The End Is Near and It’s Going to Be Awesome.” HarperCollins, 2013-05-01. iBooks.

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