14 - Visions of stateless society

Summary

To be GOVERNED is to be kept in view, inspected, spied upon, directed, legislated,regulated, prosecuted, indoctrinated, preached at, controlled, estimated, valued,censured, commanded by those who do not have the right, the wisdom, northe virtue to do so . . . To be GOVERNED is to be at each operation, at eachtransaction, at each movement, noted, registered, counted, taxed, stamped, measured,numbered, assessed, licensed, authorised, annotated, admonished, forbidden,reformed, corrected, punished. It is, under pretext of public utility, and in thename of the general interest, to be placed under contribution, trained, ransomed,exploited, monopolised, extorted, pressured, mystified, robbed; then, at the slightestresistance, at the first word of complaint, to be reprimanded, fined, run down, harassed,tracked, abused, clubbed, disarmed, bound, imprisoned, shot, machine-gunned, judged,condemned, deported, sacrificed, sold, betrayed: and, to top it all off, mocked,ridiculed, outraged, dishonoured. That is government: that is its justice: that is itsmorality! (Proudhon 1923b, p. 344)