America's Political Crisis

When one asserts that capitalism is the best system to achieve "the common good," one is conceding the basic premise of collectivism: that the moral purpose of a government is to not merely protect, but provide for its citizens. And since it produces nothing, the only way a government can distribute wealth to some citizens is by first taking that wealth by force from those who have produced it. This throws the door wide open for tyranny; if forced expropriation of private property helps to provide for the "general welfare," then it is morally justifiable under the premises of collectivism. Maybe one can argue that capitalism works in practice -- and it does -- but the legitimate rights of the individual are not defensible on principle once the tenet of sacrificing the individual to the collective has been accepted as the moral yardstick against which government action should be measured. This is the root cause of our current political crisis. 

The government claims to be benevolent by taking our money and dishing it out to others. Any thief knows this is not benevolence but tyranny.