On the record
But if he is compelled to give them up to somebody else,--to a government, so-called, or to any body else,--he ceases to have any rights of his own to be protected.
Said by
Lysander Spooner
Source
gutenberg.orgLysander Spooner: “But if he is compelled to give them up to somebody else,--to a government, so-called, or to any body else,--he ceases to…”
Editor's note · Context
Spooner argues that surrendering rights to the government results in the loss of those rights altogether.
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More from Lysander Spooner
They do not tell us that we are the freest and happiest people on earth, inasmuch as each of our male adults is allowed one voice in ten millions in the choice of the men, who are to rob, enslave, and murder us.
On the contrary, they acknowledge themselves robbers, murderers, and villains, pure and simple.
They do not tell us that they have established infallible supreme courts, to whom they refer all questions as to the legality of their acts, and that they do nothing that is not sanctioned by these courts.
They do not attempt to deceive us, or mislead us, or reconcile us to their doings, by any such pretences, impostures, or insults as these.