State vs People?

Ideally, a state should be for and by the people. It's not entirely populist, but the interests of the majority (for of course there will be disjoint somewhere) should be upheld by the state. Realistically though I've seen and read about too many states existing only to enrich those who are in power, so that those who are in the majority become more and more marginalized (and become poorer and have less and less voice in the affairs of the state, and get killed even), whereas those in the minority (those in power) become richer and more powerful. It's sad, but true. I think that many people just take the role and the power of the state for granted, they just let selfish, greedy people rule them and rob them blind. Or they're too afraid of the power and might of the state. Or they just don't know. In any case, I think education is the key. If people are aware of their rights and how the state should really (ideally?) conduct itself, and they know what's at stake, then they won't elect and support despots and tyrants anymore. Just my two cents' worth.

Inherently, all forms of government institute some kind of control over its population. People usually accept this control as trade off for what ever they consider to be an acceptable "way of life". An interesting example can be seen in modern China. While it has been reported that Mao Zedong may have killed upwards of 70 million people, his efforts are what made China as we know it today possible. The only reason he was able to pull this off was because he was only one in China's entire history who actually got things done. The train ran on time so to speak. The state is an entity onto itself and will protect its being as long as the people let it work. When it stops, it will either cease to exist or evolve into something new. Democracy has a slight advantage in in that there are certain mechanism put into place that allow for gradual change. It is unfortunate but the individual is at war with the state mainly because their interest directly conflict. The state wants you to work its benefit or some general concept societal well being, while you want the state to help you now and not in some general sense. In the end we should not so much think about the state vs the people but in more simple and basics terms, the have's and the have not. Those in power will try their best to continue to stay in power.