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The Man VS The State
Posted on 2/23/20 at 5:16 am
Posted on 2/23/20 at 5:16 am
The following is a writing by Herbert Spencer. It is in the public domain so no copyright laws apply.
These are the type of people who established America and envisioned a country that was truly free.
The Man VS The State
As a corollary to the proposition that all institutions must be subordinated to the law of equal freedom, we cannot choose but admit the right of the citizen to adopt a condition of voluntary outlawry. If every man has freedom to do all that he wills, provided he infringes not the equal freedom of any other man, then he is free to drop connection with the State,—to relinquish its protection and to refuse paying towards its support. It is self-evident that in so behaving he in no way trenches upon the liberty of others; for his position is a passive one, and, whilst passive, he cannot become an aggressor. It is equally self-evident that he cannot be compelled to continue one of a political corporation without a breach of the moral law, seeing that citizenship involves payment of taxes; and the taking away of a man's property against his will is an infringement of his rights. Government being simply an agent employed in common by a number of individuals to secure to them certain advantages, the very nature of the connection implies that it is for each to say whether he will employ such an agent or not.
As a government can rightly act for the people only when empowered by them, so also can it rightly act for the individual only when empowered by him. If A, B, and C debate whether they shall employ an agent to perform for them a certain service, and if, whilst A and B agree to do so, C dissents, C cannot equitably be made a party to the agreement in spite of himself. And this must be equally true of thirty as of three: and, if of thirty, why not of three hundred, or three thousand, or three millions?
TLDR:
Govt works for you, not the other way around. You can't be forced to employ them if you don't want their services even if the majority does.
These are the type of people who established America and envisioned a country that was truly free.
The Man VS The State
As a corollary to the proposition that all institutions must be subordinated to the law of equal freedom, we cannot choose but admit the right of the citizen to adopt a condition of voluntary outlawry. If every man has freedom to do all that he wills, provided he infringes not the equal freedom of any other man, then he is free to drop connection with the State,—to relinquish its protection and to refuse paying towards its support. It is self-evident that in so behaving he in no way trenches upon the liberty of others; for his position is a passive one, and, whilst passive, he cannot become an aggressor. It is equally self-evident that he cannot be compelled to continue one of a political corporation without a breach of the moral law, seeing that citizenship involves payment of taxes; and the taking away of a man's property against his will is an infringement of his rights. Government being simply an agent employed in common by a number of individuals to secure to them certain advantages, the very nature of the connection implies that it is for each to say whether he will employ such an agent or not.
As a government can rightly act for the people only when empowered by them, so also can it rightly act for the individual only when empowered by him. If A, B, and C debate whether they shall employ an agent to perform for them a certain service, and if, whilst A and B agree to do so, C dissents, C cannot equitably be made a party to the agreement in spite of himself. And this must be equally true of thirty as of three: and, if of thirty, why not of three hundred, or three thousand, or three millions?
TLDR:
Govt works for you, not the other way around. You can't be forced to employ them if you don't want their services even if the majority does.
Posted on 2/23/20 at 5:22 am to BeNotDeceivedGal6_7
You’d have to be “Off the Grid”
Posted on 2/23/20 at 5:49 am to ynlvr
quote:
You’d have to be “Off the Grid”
Doesn't that infringe on my rights if I don't want to live on the side of a mountain somewhere? Not that I'm opposed to that, but should I have to hide from my govt?
Posted on 2/23/20 at 7:01 am to BeNotDeceivedGal6_7
Just saying “Our Government has Evolved” far beyond this ideal. Off the Grid or Revolution are paths to achieving such personal freedom.
Posted on 2/23/20 at 9:19 am to ynlvr
quote:
Off the Grid or Revolution are paths to achieving such personal freedom.
I got ya.
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