crush are freedom to live as we wish

The primary function of state....is to protect it's people.

This wasn't meant to be a "What comes next" competition you know.

Nice Libertarian sentiment. Unfortunately, us Libertarians are a small and shrinking minority - it's more and more a choice between Nanny State, Command-Economy State, or Invade-the-Planet State.

And people wonder why I'm cynical

I don't think people wonder why you're cynical so much as accept that you take pride in being so and share it with us in the most contrived ways you possibly can.

As taken from my Libertarian principles, it is the duty of the government to protect individual rights to live their life in any way they choose, so long as they do so without harming others.

This includes providing for the common defense and enforcing the laws against harming others, but for very little else.

yeah, that's true.

Well, you might note that it is the "prime function" firstly, and secondly, economic interests are going to improve the choice of people, justifies safety services, Education availability etc. etc.

As I see it, the function of the state is to maintain order. Order means a stable environment in which people can establish and carry out their routines, whatever these may be. Routines can range from elemental activities such as waking up and having breakfast to more complex things like trade.

Basically, this requires the establishment of rules and the mechanisms to enforce them. That's what the state primarily does.

Services provided, or often regulated, by the state such as energy, transport and finance are also oriented to maintain a stable environment so that people can go on with their routines.

Of course, in countries where democratic principles are used as the basis for the selection of the people in charge of managing the state it will be possible to see candidates to, and holders of, office competing by trying to offer the best alternative in the establishment and enforcement of rules and the provision of services.

So, I think, the prime function of the state is to maintain ORDER.

Regards.

In a democratic state, to maintain order in the way the PEOPLE want it to be done.

The concept of a state and its concurrent 'people' are relatively new constructs in the history of humanity that your question is prejudicial towards.

Historically the role and function of governments have been at great variance to your question. The relationship or should I say the ownership of state/governing body by the mass of what is called the 'people' is rather new and should not be taken as a proven factual relationship but more of a goal in which both the depiction of who THE PEOPLE are and what the STATE is still evolving.

I heard this recently...
All crimes are theft at their core. Murder steals a life. Rape steals one's liberty and dignity and possibly health. Plagiarism steals their identity...

The purpose of the state is to deal with theft - to discourage it, to prevent it where it is threatened, and to punish it (again, to discourage it). This is of course a secular and limited view of government.

Alternate views might posit that a government's purpose is more active than that - to enable the thievery of "others" outside the country - this is often called "advancing national interests"... to acquire and control the wealth, power, pride, and culture of other countries... Now this is, of course, why international governmental bodies are so unpopular among many... because the purpose of international government such as the U.N. is to deal with theft by nations... to discourage, prevent and punish nations attempting to acquire and control the wealth, power, pride, and culture of other countries. This offends many who would believe that their country has the right to do what it pleases on the international stage and not be beholden to any international standards of conduct. These offended parties who chaff at the restrictions of international law include but are not limited to American Neo-Conservatives and Russian Nationalists... (perhaps all nationalists by definition).