"El gobierno en su mejor estado es solo un mal necesario en su peor estado es un mal intolerable"
— Thomas Paine
Simplified Meaning:
This quote means that having a government is never perfect, but it's something we need to keep society running smoothly. Think of it like medicine: even the best medicine might have side effects, but it's important for curing illness. Now, when government is doing its best, it still has some problems and can cause frustration, but it helps keep order and provide services. However, when government is at its worst, it can become so bad that people suffer greatly because of its actions, much like a medicine that makes someone very sick instead of better. For example, look at a traffic system in a city. Ideally, the traffic rules, lights, and signs help everyone get to where they're going safely. Sometimes the rules might be annoying, but they help prevent accidents and chaos. But if the system is really bad, like if the lights are always broken and the rules are confusing, driving becomes dangerous and frustrating for everyone. Applying this to our lives, it suggests that we should work to keep our government accountable and well run, so it minimizes harm and maximizes benefits for society.