One of the typical responses to criticism of a government policy, program, or other undertaking is the demand for an answer to the question, "What is your alternative?" Often this challenge demands a blueprint or other detailed plan for the alternative to the governmental status quo. Absent such a fully-articulated plan, one's criticism is often dismissed as mere carping by someone who has no idea about how to replace the present government undertaking.

My own alternative is simply freedom. Get the government completely out of whatever it is now doing so badly, whether it be educating youth, protecting the public from crime, or keeping the economy in flourishing operation. Of course, the critic is likely to dismiss this answer on the grounds that it constitutes nothing but a shibboleth, a magic word that is taken to solve all the problems even though it lacks any definite plan or arrangement for a solution.