On Government

I don't think people should respect governments. Governments don't respect people. They're violent. Most of their violence is directed toward their own citizens--a heartbreaking discovery after paying into Social Security for so long. It's important not to identify too closely with them, for this reason.

People, on the other hand, are much more deserving of our fealty. People are creative and dynamic--so much so that we don't even understand how they work or how they came into being. All cultures believe, in unique ways, that the very existence of people suggests even greater possibilities beyond our understanding. Because we don't know, and because people don't exist for very long, it seems prudent to celebrate and protect them. This is quite apart from the role of government, which protects possessions from people, takes possessions from people, and possesses people for protection. It's strange and sad that we would be drawn so willfully to this power--in the words of Foucault, "to desire the very thing that dominates and exploits us."