I believe there should be moderation between fearing the government and not fearing the government. Government must be feared to some extent. The fear is what prevents disorder and chaos in society. People think twice about stealing and killing because they realize that there are consequences for those actions. An example of this is the situation Iraq was in before the U.S. and its allies overthrew Saddam. The dictatorship of Saddam was very harsh. It was the harsh conditions of the dictatorship that kept the peace in Iraq and made the country stable. The different groups in Iraq never went to war with each other because Saddam's regime would not allow that to happen. Another example of the importance of fearing the government is the fear of capital punishment. Fearing capital punishment sometimes prevents people from committing capital offenses. A third example of the importance of fearing the government is getting a ticket for speeding. Fear of having to pay a fine to the county or state prevents deaths that are caused by speeding.
Government does not always have to be feared. People tend to love their governments when when their governments do things that are just, moral, and fair. I think it is important for government to not abuse its power. Government has a responsiblity and obligation to protect and improve the lives of the people it governs. A government that fails to live up to that is not a good government. An example of a government that has abused its power is the government in Iran. I think the Iranian government abused its power during the election in Iran that took place a while back. The Iranian government failed to listen to other Iranians who disagreed with the results of the election. The Iranian government even used force to get the Iranians who disagreed to settle and accept the outcome of the election. Another example of a government that has abused its power was the regime of Saddam. The regime aggressively went after and punished those who spoke out against Saddam and his dictatorship.