I Wish

The Onion has a great mock story on a new poll showing that nearly nine out of 10 Americans are "tired of having a country." One American said it best:

"I already belong to a health club, a church, and the Kiwanis Club," Tammy Golden of Los Angeles wrote. "I'm a member of the Von's Grocery Super Savers, which gets me a discount on certain groceries. These are all well-managed organizations with real benefits. None of them send me a confusing bill once a year and make me work it out myself, then throw me in jail if I get it wrong."

This, of course, reminds me of the famous anti-tax quote by Thoreau, "Know all men by these presents, that I, Henry Thoreau, do not wish to be regarded as a member of any society which I have not joined." From "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience" (the original title was "Resistance to Civil Government"). Read the essay on-line here. At least read the awesome opening paragraph. I can't think of a better essay that defends the right of an individual to resist the state.