What to say about this essay, I do not know. It seemed that every word Thoreau wrote spoke to me, personally. It was simply an amazing experience for me reading this piece.
First off, the main point that Thoreau is trying to get across in this essay is that when men pay taxes and are a part of society and the State, they are nothing but "machines" or "slaves" to the State, letting this State run their lives. He starts off his essay twisting Thomas Paine's quote "Government is best which governs least" into "Government is best which governs not at all" which basically summarizes his point. Also, he talks about how men should not pay taxes or follow the laws of a government that does not hold up their best interests. He asks not at once for "...no government, but at once for better government...." By this he recognizes that obviously the government will not yield to his opinions at once, or ever, but that we should have a more democratic democracy that holds up the ideals of the people. I think that the main reason why Thoreau held this opinion is that at this time during the Mexican War, senators were not elected by the people but by congress so that parties had a self-sustaining system. Also, there was a lot of decision-making being done, especially in the Compromise of 1850, over the heads of the American populace; while, at the same time poll-taxes among others were still instituted in order to pay for all these acts.
Many activists have been influenced by Thoreau's ideas of peaceful activism, such as Martin Luther King Jr. as well as Mahatma Gandhi. These men, among others, must have read how Thoreau believed that the only way in which to a have a peaceful revolution, which is what he wanted, against the government is for people to quit their government jobs, break the law, and not pay taxes, being "counter-friction to the machine" which is the State. Also, they must have been influenced by Thoreau's idea that Jail is the most Just place for a Just man because it is the only place where he is truly free from the Unjust State.
Overall, I loved Thoreau's essay, as many have before me, and I think it is overall the most enlightening thing I have ever read.
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Wow! This reminds me a lot of the post I literally just wrote about Civil Disobedience! Like you, I lovedd this essay, and I thought he brought up some very valid points about how corrupt government can be (I liked your say of putting it by saying they are slaves to the state). Overall great post, I undoubtedly agree with all of this :)
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