Force is not a creative power. Force is a destructive power. The only goal that can be achieved through force is destruction. Force cannot build a house, write software, grow food, or create any value. The only thing that force can “achieve” is the destruction of values. However, if you examine nearly any political issue, the proposed policies invariably use force to achieve some alleged goal.
For example, when tenants complain that rents are “too damn high,” the proposed solution is to force landlords to accept lower rents. Or, when some individuals desire to use their property is a manner that some find objectionable, the proposed solution is to use zoning to force them to use their land as the community thinks appropriate. When low-skilled workers shout that they can’t survive on minimum wage, they seek to force employers to pay them more. These actions, and countless others like them, are destructive to values.
When individuals disagree, there are two possible responses. The parties involved can “agree to disagree” and go their own way. Or, one or all parties can attempt to use force to compel “agreement.” In the former case, the parties accept the fact that others may make decisions that they find objectionable. In the latter case, one or all parties refuse to tolerate disagreement.
The purpose of force is to “encourage” individuals to act in a manner that the wielder of force thinks best. The judgment of the victim is irrelevant. Indeed, the goal of force is for individuals to act contrary to their own judgment. Force negates rational thought and action.
Rent control forces a landlord to accept a rent lower than what he thinks best. Zoning forces a property owner to use his land differently than he would voluntarily choose. Minimum wage laws force employers to pay more they think that a job is worth.
Rent control leads to a reduced housing stock, and the remaining stock is more expensive. Zoning removes land from denser development, and thus makes housing more expensive. Minimum wage laws reduce the employment opportunities for low-skill workers. These are a few of the destructive consequences of using force.