Marko has another must-read post

Go read Marko's "My Guiding Principle" It's a great explanation of Randian Objectivism and the Non-Aggression Principle. The entire concept is ingenious and quite simple. If you want to deal with me, you must do so rationally and we must be in mutual agreement. Once you attempt to compel me to act against my own rational self-interest, via force / threat of force you have violated my rights. Force, whether utilized by individuals, groups, governments, or nations, is only permissible when done in self-defense, defense of others, or to free people from tyranny. Once you understand objectivism, it becomes extremely easy to determine whether government action is permissible or not.