Does the end justify the means? This one question is at the…

Does the end justify the means?
This one question is at the core of everything:
Answer with yes and you can justify anything up to and including genocide.
Answer with no and you embrace freedom, ethics and individual rights.
The answer determines whether you are a collecivist, who is fine with violating individual rights for a supposed "greater good", or an individualist, who is appalled by any group that sacrifices its members (human sacrifice) or their rights (taxation etc) to profit the group (or, more realistically, the rulers).
The problem is that if your answer is no, you must logically reject the state, the government and any similar forms of organized crime.