Why Governments Exist

I went into the post office the other day to buy some stamps. I needed some two cent'ers so I could use up the rest of the roll of 39 cent'ers I have. After some wait I finally reached the counter. I put two shiny quarters on the counter.

"Two cent stamps, please!" I announced to the lady behind the counter.

"How many?" she replied.

"Shoot the works!" I said. "Spend it all!" (Big spender that I am!)

She had to think about it for a moment, then she handed me twenty two cent stamps and a dime.

"If you give me twenty five stamps, you won't have to give me back any change.", I volunteered.

She thought about that for a bit, looking like she was trying to decide if I was trying to pull a fast one along the lines of the old "Two tens for a five" thing.

As she was still thinking about it I realized that this level of mathematics was beyond her abilities.

"....but this will be just fine."

I didn't feel like waiting around while she called in a supervisor or something to review the transaction, so I took my stamps and the dime and left the counter.

Thinking about this as I was driving home, it finally dawned on me the real purpose of government is not to run the country at all. The real purpose is to provide secure jobs for people who are otherwise unemployable.

I've known all along that the primary purpose of elected officials is to provide comic relief, but I had always wondered about the rest of the governmental employees.

I think I finally figured it out.......