Thursday, October 6, 2011

Henry David Thoreau

Thoreau's first line "That government is best which governs least" is to me the most significant line in Civil Disobedience. It is straight forth and to the point because the government at this time was trying to control many aspects, if not all, of the society and Thoreau comments on the many ways the government could change.
He speaks of the people not being ready for a government that rules everyone as a whole and that the people have their own ways of living, which can not be controlled by anyone. This comment pulls out many questions of how the government could possibly benefit everyone. For example, he says that the country could have gotten farther in their settling or in their education if it wasn't for the government that got in the way. The controlling of where and how to move just wasn't in Thoreau's mind, which makes me believe that he really did not like the government as a whole.
Around paragraph 3 part one, he says that he doesn't want no government, but instead a better government; a government that will take into consideration the thoughts and wishes of everyone. He supports this statement by saying that the government already works for the people and that the people are the one's that should hold the majority of the power and say of the government. Also, it wouldn't hurt for the government to let the people have a say because after all, they are the strongest ones for the job.
I could agree with Thoreau in many aspects of his writing because the people should get what benefits them as a whole. Also, I think that the people were willing to cooperate with the government if only they started to see change in their country.

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