Yes Means No

One of the ways that democracies flatter themselves is by proposing that they, uniquely among forms of government, operate via the "consent of the governed." But consent is something that must be given or withheld, and have you tried not paying your taxes lately? You can do it, but you're not free to do it. Certainly it's possible for small numbers of citizens to expatriate themselves, but in practical reality most of us are forever prisoners of our nationality--it is one of the inescapable aspects of our existence. Implied consent is one thing in minor matters of verbal contracts, say, but the idea that emerging from the uterus within the political borders of the United States of America implies that one consents to our rickety-rapacious system of governance is a stretch. And by a stretch, I mean a howler, because it's perfectly evident that no consent is involved at all. Walk down to the nearest federal court and inform the fine folks there that you hereby withdraw your consent to the Constitution, statutes, and common law of the United States of America and its individual states. Better yet, walk down to the nearest police station.