Resistance to Civil Government
I heartily accept the motto,—”That government is best which governs least”; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe—”That government is best which governs not at all”; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have. Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient. The objections which have been brought against a standing army, and they are many and weighty, and deserve to prevail, may also at last be brought against a standing government. The standing army is only an arm of the standing government. The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it.Witness the present Mexican war,Note the work of comparatively a few individuals using the standing government as their tool; for in the outset, the people would not have consented to this measure.
- Thoreau
5 Comments
Old Henry knew how to turn a phrase all right. I do think we need a government that enforces some regulation to insure that all people are given a chance to lead productive lives and not gouged by the corporate thieves. Just a thought.
I just thought it striking how many times, again and again, the government does things the people would not consent to, but they get away with it. As Tony Soprano would say, “what are you going to do?”
“what are you going to do?”
RESIST!!!!!
Thanks for invoking the words of my favorite civil disobedient!
Sadly, the people have passively consented to all of the abuses this government has committed against us and the world…it has been a virtual orgy of abuses.
But when the corporate thieves are friends of the government, and the government turns a blind eye so those corporate thieves can move to Dubai, what ARE we going to do?
Anarchy in the USA!