“Safety from external danger is the most powerful director of national conduct.”

I don't make a point of agreeing with Hamilton but I must concede this point. I would also say that the threat of physical violence is the most powerful director of individual conduct.

"Thank you Alex, I'll take the bleeding obvious for 200." As Justin pointed out this is true of individual conduct as well.

Ergo the 50% plus of our national budget for defense. Why do they call it defense when it has been all aggression on the U.S. part?

"Safety from danger of propaganda is the most powerful director of national conduct."

Propoganda is no danger to a rational mind.

And safety from internal danger...?

Yes, Abigail, where does that come from? Having good neighbors? The Native American Indians lived in tee pees where they could hear what was going on next door to help, but where did that get them? Shucks, we will never have to worry about that anyway. They have warm places to take us if it becomes necessary, in little rail cars.

And FEAR of danger is the #1 political motivator of the masses -- fear of being imprisoned for not paying their 'fair share', or protesting unlawful government actions, or refusing to be licensed for work, for purchasing, for travelling, for talking, for using a computer, for procreating, and soon for exhaling... When men become too powerful, they wish to control EVERYTHING, to put themselves between everyone, every transaction whether financial, spiritual, or sexual. Men trying to be gods whether as a group or an emperor. ALL promise SAFETY from their OWN punishment as if it were God's wrath. Will enough of us ever wake up and be willing to fight the good fight? Or will we just keep rolling over to 'protect' us from our own...?

I’m not sure that “safety from external danger is the most powerful director of national conduct” BUT! ! !, it is the tool most often extrapolated by national conductors to enslave the noble individual(s) and, conduct their despotism and tyranny against inalienable rights and liberty.

Fear of external danger, natural or otherwise moves the masses and individual to act, as seen by the current pandemic. Archer as usual is on point. Mike, Norwalk, also as usual on point. The unruly individual sovereign has always been the quest of rulers to overthrow and bring under subjection to the welfare state by force. Government seeks to put a saddle and tax on anything that moves, lives, or breaths.