--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The one thing that I know government is…" description: "\"The one thing that I know government is good for is countervailing against monopoly. It's not great at that either, but it's the only force I know that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1b/john-perry-barlow-9208_force_the-one-thing-that-i-know-government-is_2798726.jpg" --- # The one thing that I know government is good for is… ![“The one thing that I know government is good for is countervailing against monopoly. It's not great at that either, but it's the only force I know that is fairly reliable” quote by John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1b/john-perry-barlow-9208_force_the-one-thing-that-i-know-government-is_2798726.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1b/john-perry-barlow-9208_force_the-one-thing-that-i-know-government-is_2798726.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1b/john-perry-barlow-9208_force_the-one-thing-that-i-know-government-is_2798726.jpg) > “The one thing that I know government is good for is countervailing against monopoly. It's not great at that either, but it's the only force I know that is fairly reliable” [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government can curb monopolies better than any other institution, though it often fails. **In simple terms:** Government can limit monopolies. Key Takeaway Use regulation to check market power. Themes government economics monopoly regulation public policy Mood skeptical analytical Type political critical When to use this quote - policy making - business strategy - consumer protection - legislative reform Key Concepts antitrust market competition public good Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure regulators stay independent? - What alternatives exist to curb monopolies? A Different Perspective Regulation can be captured by special interests, reducing effectiveness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Countervailing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/countervailing-3434035/) [Countervailing Monopoly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/countervailing-monopoly-3434034/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Good Countervailing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-countervailing-3434033/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-good/) [Know Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-government-259920/) [Monopoly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monopoly/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Government has laid its hand on health, housing, farming, industry, commerce, education, and to an ever-increasing degree interferes with the people's right to know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/government-has-laid-its-hand-on-health-housing-farming-industry/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The government does not need to know more about what we are doing. 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There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-rizal/i-can-concede-that-the-government-has-no-knowledge-of-the-people-but/) [Jose Rizal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-rizal/) > [In a democracy, the public has a right to know not only what the government decides, but why and by what process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/in-a-democracy-the-public-has-a-right-to-know-not-only-what-the/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) > [Not only do we have a right to know, we have a duty to know what our Government is doing in our name. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/not-only-do-we-have-a-right-to-know-we-have-a-duty-to-know-what-our/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) ## More by John Perry Barlow > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [“the first responsibility of a human being is to be a better ancestor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/the-first-responsibility-of-a-human-being-is-to-be-a-better-ancestor/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [Our universities are so determined to impose tolerance that they'll expel you for saying what you think and never notice the irony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/our-universities-are-so-determined-to-impose-tolerance-that-they-ll/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [You do not know our culture, our ethics, or the unwritten codes that already provide our society more order than could be obtained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/you-do-not-know-our-culture-our-ethics-or-the-unwritten-codes-that/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [The real issue is control. 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My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-m-a-member-of-that-half-of-the-human-race-which-is-inclined-to/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I ... believe that angels, or something like them, sometimes live among us, hidden within our fellow human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-believe-that-angels-or-something-like-them-sometimes-live-among-us/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I think that humor is part of what saves us from despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-think-that-humor-is-part-of-what-saves-us-from-despair/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I personally think intellectual property is an oxymoron. Physical objects have a completely different natural economy than intellectual goods. It's a tricky thing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-personally-think-intellectual-property-is-an-oxymoron-physical/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [Any powerful technology has sauce for the goose and the gander... It's just an extension of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/any-powerful-technology-has-sauce-for-the-goose-and-the-gander-it-s/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [Art is a service, not a product. Created beauty is a relationship, and a relationship with the Holy at that. Reducing such work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/art-is-a-service-not-a-product-created-beauty-is-a-relationship-and-a/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [We will create a civilization of the Mind in Cyberspace. 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Home, sweet home, is as powerful on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-ellen-foster/sentiment-is-the-mightiest-force-in-civilization-not-sentimentality/) [Judith Ellen Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-ellen-foster/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [Above Coblentz almost every mountain has a ruin and a legend. One feels everywhere the spirit of the past, and its stirring recollections come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-taylor/above-coblentz-almost-every-mountain-has-a-ruin-and-a-legend-one/) [Bayard Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-taylor/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [The one means that wins the easiest victory over reason is terror and force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-one-means-that-wins-the-easiest-victory-over-reason-is-terror-and/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [Dictatorship is rule based directly upon force and unrestricted by any laws. 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