I disagree with Mr. Spooner in calling elective representative government "slavery".
Even if we were to throwaway the bounds of this form of government by the state (in the US, being a republican form), humankind would quickly find ourselves enslaved to something else.
Chiefly, my argument is, the source of our slavery, is often our departure from God's law and righteousness. The problems we experience in every realm of authority, government, state, life, and living can all be traced to a single source: rebellion against God's law — which is succinctly defined as "sin".
And, I know, this isn't a "religious" post about "religion", but I will disagree. Any matter of human interaction ultimately can be brought back to our relationship with God. Mankind is fundamentally corrupt, doesn't desire God, won't, can't, and doesn't want to submit to God's laws. This is what Jesus had to say:
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 22:36-40 ESV
When I say we violate God's law, every violation involves, in essence, breaking one of these two basic principles. That translates directly to this subject.
Every violation of the Non-Aggression Principle: Not loving your neighbor as yourself. The state depriving people of basic rights: Individuals in power not loving their neighbor as themselves. Killing of preborn children: Not loving your preborn neighbor as yourself. Police state: Not loving your neighbor as yourself.
And each of these violations also ties into a vertical failure of not loving God with every ounce of your being, because when you have a proper relationship with God, you should be loving your neighbor as yourself.
So my argument is, you may unchain yourself at some point from the state, but
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. (John 8:34)
And unless we, as a people, repent (turn from our sin with disgust — including not loving with all of our being and not loving our neighbor as ourselves) and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord, God, and Savior our society, in whatever form, will continue to be enslaved. Whether it's republican, democratic, socialist, anarchist, or voluntaryist.
