You have had abundant opportunity to know--and if you have kept your eyes open, you do know--what these schemes of robbery have been in the past; and from these you can judge what they will be in the future.
Spooner argues that past actions of lawmakers can predict future behavior.
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In short, they acknowledge themselves hostes humani generis: enemies of the human race.
They do not carry their heads high, above all other men, and demand our reverence and admiration, as statesmen, patriots, and benefactors.
When they have once taken our money, they have the decency to get out of our sight as soon as possible; they do not persist in following us, and robbing us, again and again, so long as we produce anything that they can take from us.
They do not tell us that all liberty and order would be destroyed, that society itself would go to pieces, and man go back to barbarism, if it were not for the care, and supervision, and protection, they lavish upon us.