Replies

It is estimated that in the last century 170 million citizens were murdered by their own governments. ("Death by government", Rummel) Taking the century's world average population at 3 billion, which is high, that gives an estimated average annual governmental murder rate of almost 60 per 100,000. The annual(non-governmental) murder rate in the U.S. hovered around 10 per 100,000 during the century.

There are governments and there are governments. Surely you do not mean to imply that there is little difference between the U.S. government and that of, say, North Korea.

What was the "governmental murder rate" in the United States during the last century, and how does that compare with the "non-governmental" rate?

"There are governments and there are governments. Surely you do not mean to imply that there is little difference between the U.S. government and that of, say, North Korea."

But the discussion here is about governments in general, not the U.S. government in particular, which, historically at least, has been less bad than most governments. But the fact that the world average annual govermental murder rate for the 20th century is 6 times the historical criminal homicide rate in the U.S. is less than a sterling endorsement of government in general.