How do you know when to trust government?

“We're never so vulnerable than when we trust someone - but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy” Walter Anderson

I just read an article about trust, which reminded me of how trusting and naive I was when I was a young man fresh off the farm. I was not distrustful. I was not "street smart".

Over the years I have become the opposite of that young man. Now I trust very few people because I have witnessed so many charlatans and prevaricators. Now I make someone work harder to earn my trust than in my early years. I don't give my trust away on any whim.

A business that does one transaction for a customer has little need to build trust. A business that counts on repeat customers needs to build trust.

Family members and close friends demand and try to build trust because it is in their best interest. It promotes the strength and survivability of the family and group. A business that has earned trust from its employees and customers also promotes its strength against competition.

As a society we promote truth. We use truth as a means of commerce and social interaction. We consider truth and honesty as community property. Someone will always try to get more from the community property than they contribute.

The same issue of trust applies to a culture's government. If the government earns trust from the people, the government builds strength. Do we measure a government by what it does, or what it says? How do we know when a government lies, or when it tells the truth? Trust in a government can be an illusion, based on lies. Destroy our illusions and you destroy our happiness. People want to trust their government. They feel safe in its cocoon. Therein lies danger.

Charles Tolleson