I think that statism, while always wrong, is sometimes embraced with good intentions.
The statist truly wants to "help" and is clueless about how to do so, and they decide that theft and aggression (wielded in just the right way, by just the right people) are the way to help.
Yes, it's a ridiculous belief, but it is sincere.
But statism isn't always due to good intentions. Sometimes it is pure malevolence.
How much the statist supports punishment is probably a good indicator.
If the statist enjoys hearing about cops killing people who are breaking a counterfeit "law", they have no good intentions. If a statist hopes a person who has no individual victim will experience prison rape, there are no good intentions behind it. Most statists are very sick people who hunger to see others punished. Punishment addiction and statism are almost indistinguishable.
