wisdom from the Tao Te Ching

Chapter 57

Govern a country with upright integrity
Deploy the military with surprise tactics
Take the world with non-interference

How do I know this is so?

With the following:
When there are many restrictions in the world
The people become more impoverished
When people have many sharp weapons
The country becomes more chaotic
When people have many clever tricks
More strange things occur
The more laws are posted
The more robbers and thieves there are

Therefore the sage says:

I take unattached action, and the people transform themselves
I prefer quiet, and the people right themselves
I do not interfere, and the people enrich themselves
I have no desires, and the people simplify themselves

The above speaks to the Chinese concept of wuwei, often translated as "nonaction"—but really meaning the act of doing through nondoing. Elsewhere, the Tao Te Ching says, "The sage accomplishes everything by doing nothing." I can see a lot of libertarians wishing that government acted more that way. Because as it also says above: The more laws are posted, the more robbers and thieves there are. 

I once watched a cop's lecture. He began by noting there are so many laws, these days, that most audience members, simply in driving to the lecture, undoubtedly broke two or three laws on the way there. No matter what you do in today's America (or Korea, etc.), you're a criminal.

That said, wuwei is more about acting without thought for the fruits of one's actions—selflessly, naturally, spontaneously, in accordance with one's nature. A very similar lesson is taught in the Bhagavad Gita by Krsna (God) to Arjuna the warrior.