To be GOVERNED is to be watched, inspected, spied upon…
““To be GOVERNED is to be watched, inspected, spied upon, directed, law-driven, numbered, regulated, enrolled, indoctrinated, preached at, controlled, checked, estimated, valued, censured, commanded, by creatures who have neither the right nor the wisdom nor the virtue to do so. To be GOVERNED is to be at every operation, at every transaction noted, registered, counted, taxed, stamped, measured, numbered, assessed, licensed, authorized, admonished, prevented, forbidden, reformed, corrected, punished. It is, under pretext of public utility, and in the name of the general interest, to be placed under contribution, drilled, fleeced, exploited, monopolized, extorted from, squeezed, hoaxed, robbed; then, at the slightest resistance, the first word of complaint, to be repressed, fined, vilified, harassed, hunted down, abused, clubbed, disarmed, bound, choked, imprisoned, judged, condemned, shot, deported, sacrificed, sold, betrayed; and to crown all, mocked, ridiculed, derided, outraged, dishonored. That is government; that is its justice; that is its morality.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote condemns the pervasive, intrusive, and oppressive nature of state power over individuals’ lives and freedoms.
In simple terms: Government is portrayed as an overreaching, controlling force.
Key Takeaway
Question authority and protect personal liberty.
Themes
politics
freedom
authority
oppression
state power
Mood
critical
defiant
skeptical
Type
political
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- activism
- legal reform
- privacy advocacy
- community organizing
- civil disobedience
Key Concepts
anarchism
social contract
surveillance
taxation
regulation
Questions to Reflect On
- What freedoms are you willing to trade for security?
- How can societies balance order and liberty?
A Different Perspective
It may overlook the benefits of coordinated public services and collective action.