> The government today already has all the tools to ruin your life. It had them in 1940. It had them in 1840 and it had them in the year 40 as well. And that tool is known as the monopoly on violence.

There are a couple of problems with this:

1. As a matter of raw empirical fact, a government around the year 40 wasn't too likely to possess a monopoly on violence.

2. A monopoly on violence isn't necessary to ruin your life. A simple nonexclusive license, which governments of the period did have, is sufficient.