Tom, it seems Publius is bent to discuss politics from the theoretical perspective typical of an academic with little experience outside the ivory tower. he talks about socialism from a textbook perspective instead of how it has actually been implemented around the world. He talks about "pure" democracy or "pure" communism as if they exist or ever did exist beyond the level of a hippie commune or town meeting. That's the key to why he ridicules your "daffinitions" for political terms - they don't fit the theoretical world that academics have created in their mind.

On the other hand, you're discussing it from the real-world practical experience of actually dealing with government. You've actually encountered those "selfless civil servants" with their hands out asking for protection money. Government at the practical level is little different from the Mafia, they just don't normally dress as well. Instead of breaking kneecaps, they pass laws and regulations to harass someone out of business. By no means do all government officials work this way but enough do to really corrupt the system.

As a private pilot, I've seen another manifestation of government corruption at the practical level for more than 20 years. Small airports have been disappearing at the rate of dozens every year for decades. The typical way it happens is some developer will see a small airport as a nice flat piece of land that would be better suited as a strip mall or residential community. He gives some bribes (campaign contributions) to the appropriate county commissioners or city councilmen. They in turn raise the airport's property taxes to the point where they drive the FBO or owner out of business, where regrettably the airport must be closed but look at the shiny new strip mall that will be built in its place. Another variation on the theme is to get a zoning change so they can build housing right up to the airport boundary. People move in and then start complaining about the noise, nevermind the fact that the airport may have been there for over 40 years. I've seen this exact scenario acted out many times and it continues to this day. We even had some people trying to shut down air operations at the Air Force Academy because of the noise when in fact that airport has been operating for over 40 years. For the record, I live within sight of the AFA airfield and can easily hear everything that happens there. I don't consider those operations to be noise - it's the sound of freedom to me.

Publius may scoff and say it doesn't happen but he'd be wrong. He may say that the strip mall represents a more profitable use of the land but that's beside the point. The central issue is that government corruption is being used to drive someone out of business in order to profit others. That, all too often, is government at the practical level.