“The state spends much time and effort persuading the public that it is not really what it is and that the consequences of its actions are positive rather than negative.”

Absolutely! Government's 4th branch (the industrial/governmental media complex) magnifies State sponsored lies, propaganda, deceptions and cover-ups.

Will those who are new to the political system do the same someday?

And all propaganda is so insidious that people accept it as truth after only a few repetitions. The members of Congress tell people black is white and white is black with only one purpose in mind---re-election! Their pretense is that they are doing all they can for the good of the people and the people are fooled into believing (everytime) that what is being done is for their own good! Bah-humbug! And Merry Christmas to all the Christians too!

Our government operates under the idea that they can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time and that's good enough to get their job done.

Hans has the neo-liberals down pat. The sad fact is that they have been successful in pulling the wool over the eyes of an ever-growing populaltion of undereducated Americans. The more power these people obtain, the more they will want to retain.

That's because the State is addicted to power, and the populace are addicted to fantasy. And the State uses its power to further that fantasy. Thus the vicious circle that feeds the leviathon, and enslaves the people.

"And for my next trick, I'm going to need a product of the government regulated 'education' system..." Smoke and mirrors and gullible voters = Obamaster

To see how true and accurate Hoppe's statement is we just have to listen to Obama tell us that if we listen to him, everything will be just fine. We just have to get over the problems that Bush caused. It's just going to take some time. But if you will just listen to me and have a little patience, the economy will turn around and there will be plenty of jobsl And he will tell you that over and over, but he knows he is lying and the whole country knows he is lying. Why are there still people who actually bleive this man is anything but a paper cutout of Socialists like George Soros?

As (I think) Jim K likes to say...Government is a disease masquerading as its own cure.
Hoppe is right on the money.