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What do we mean when we use the words 'the state'? Why did it evolve? What should its limits be? What have we normalized about it that should terrify us? Are we all part-time slaves?

Welcome to Episode 25 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Amit and Ajay talk about how the existence of the state is itself an act of violence -- a necessary one, as we need it to protect our rights. But we should consider, whenever we recommend government action, that every act of government is an act of violence. It carries a moral cost, and so we should set its limits accordingly. A useful prism to think of this is the one of scope and strength. Oh, and Ajay walked into a glass wall!

This episode is sponsored by THE PUNE PUBLIC POLICY FESTIVAL, which takes place on January 19 & 20, 2024. The theme this year is TRADEOFFS. Click here for more details, and to register: https://www.pppf.in/

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

00:00 Teaser and packaging
00:50 Introduction: Ajay Hits a Glass Wall
02:17 Chapter 1: First-Principles Thinking
09:55 Chapter 2: The State = Violence
25:30 Chapter 3: Scope and Strength
43:25 Our Sponsor's Message
44:53 Chapter 4: Ajay's Recco
46:02 Chapter 5: Amit's Recco

USEFUL RESOURCES:

1. Amit on Twitter:   / amitvarma  
2. Ajay on Twitter:   / ajay_shah  
3. The Seen and the Unseen -- Amit's audio podcast: https://seenunseen.in/
(Also on all podcast apps. And YouTube, though less than 1% of listens come from here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSeenAndTh...)
4. Ajay's organisation, XKDR Forum, on YouTube:    / @xkdr  
5. In Service of the Republic -- Vijay Kelkar and Ajay Shah: https://amzn.eu/d/hwGILb3
6. The Art of Clear Writing -- Amit's writing course: https://indiauncut.com/clear-writing/
7. The policy questions around airlines -- Ajay Shah: https://www.mayin.org/ajayshah/MEDIA/...
8. Fixing the Knowledge Society -- Episode 24 of Everything is Everything:    • Fixing the Knowledge Society | Episod...  
9. Every Act of Government Is an Act of Violence -- Amit Varma: https://indiauncut.com/every-act-of-g...
10. Your maid funds Unani (2007) -- Amit Varma: https://indiauncut.com/taxes-in-india...
11. Taxes Should Be Used for Governance, Not Politics -- Amit Varma: https://indiauncut.substack.com/p/6-t...
12. Where Your Taxes Go: Amit's section of wasteful spending on India Uncut: https://indiauncut.com/category/old-m...
13. Caged Tiger: How Too Much Government Is Holding Indians Back -- Subhashish Bhadra: https://amzn.eu/d/8ZRoGik
14. Subhashish Bhadra on Our Dysfunctional State -- Episode 333 of The Seen and the Unseen:    • Ep 333: Subhashish Bhadra on Our Dysf...  
15. State Building -- Francis Fukuyama: https://amzn.eu/d/2AihRzw
16. Restaurant Regulations in India -- Episode 18 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Madhu Menon):    • Ep. 18: Restaurant Regulations  
17. Going from strong as in scary to strong as in capable -- Suyash Rai and Ajay Shah: https://blog.theleapjournal.org/2015/...
18. The Importance of the 1991 Reforms -- Episode 237 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan and Ajay Shah):    • Ep 237: The Importance of the 1991 Re...  
19. Why Freedom Matters -- Episode 10 of Everything is Everything:    • Why Freedom Matters | Episode 10 | Ev...  
20. Essays on Nationalism -- Rabindranath Tagore: https://amzn.eu/d/1WcPidC
21. The Libertarian Reader -- Edited by David Boaz: https://amzn.eu/d/fqVjFKD
22. What is Libertarianism? -- Episode 117 of The Seen and the Unseen (w David Boaz):    • Ep. 117: What is Libertarianism?  
23. The Origins of Political Order -- Francis Fukuyama: https://amzn.eu/d/aGyLk8R
24. Political Order and Political Decay -- Francis Fukuyama: https://amzn.eu/d/clZ96Aa
25. Kashi Ka Assi -- Kashinath Singh: https://amzn.eu/d/9BrkGVR

Produced by Amit Varma
Shot by Vaishnav Vyas and Nomsita MS Haritashya:   / vaishnav.vyas  
Edited by Nomsita MS Haritashya:   / nomsitaharitashya  
Thanks to Gaurav Chintamani for helping with sound:   / gaurav_chintamani  
Chapter images & additional illustrations by Simahina:   / i_am_simahina