The more morals and taboos there are,The more cruelty afflicts people;The more guns and knives there are,The more factions divide people;The more arts and skills there are,The more change obsoletes people;The more laws and taxes there are,The more theft corrupts people. The Tao Te Ching
(The Tao favors a minimalist approach to governance, one which allows the people to solve their own problems. The verses quoted are from various translations of 57, 58, and 75.)