Thus “society” was formed and grew more and more complex. Of course, I have only sketched the process in a very general way, but the idea is there. The one point we have to consider is that no one of these arrangements or institutions—the family, town and state—would be possible unless every member gave up part of his original freedom in return for help from others. A bargain has to be made. For instance, the different men and their families each made a bargain with the whole number to give up part of their freedom, time and energy to the band. In return each was to receive his share of the freedom, time and energy the others had given to the band or town. Each man made a bargain with the town. He owed the town something: the town owed him something.
That was the beginning of government, and that is the arrangement at the bottom of any government to this day. Every government (town, county, state or national) is just a bargain between the various individuals and all of them taken together. Each owes something to all: all owe something to each.
The point is, in each case, is this bargain a fair one? Does the individual give up more than he receives in return?
In olden times the average individual did give up far more than he got in return. Often he didn’t get much besides protection against some other government. Yet for this he frequently had to give up nearly all his freedom, time and energy. A few individuals gained control of the government and, though they might not contribute as much as the others, took most of what the others gave for the use of the whole number, calling themselves kings, or dukes or emperors. The mass of the people forgot that originally the “government” meant all the people. They came to consider the few who had gained control of the government as the government itself. That is, they let themselves be cheated out of their share in it.
Our Declaration of Independence was one of the things that resulted when, after centuries of misrule and suffering, the mass of the people began to wake up to the fact that they had been cheated all that time under a bargain which had originally been fair. They had been giving more than they got in return.
In an absolutely fair government every individual would receive just as much as he gave and give just as much as he received. A modern government is so vast and so complex that it would be hard to measure each man’s share exactly, but the nearer any government comes to that, the better and fairer it is. England, for example, comes nearer to that ideal than does Russia; Russia nearer than Afghanistan.
The chief trouble in Russia is that the mass of the people have to give more than they receive. A comparative few have gained possession of the government and each takes a very, very large share of what all contribute, leaving almost no share at all for the majority.
Of course it is almost impossible to trace out just what each Russian peasant gives up to the government, and what he receives in return. Without a government of some kind he could not produce or hold anything except by force against his fellows—land, goods, money, family, all would be totally insecure. As it is, he does get some security in these respects. In return he gives practically all his freedom, time and energy. On the other hand, a Grand Duke may give up to his country hardly any freedom, time and energy, and yet be rolling in wealth. Something is wrong. It is not a fair bargain. It is not a good government.
How about our government? Is it a fair bargain?
Modern civilization is very complex. No two men can really give just the same amount to the common country, since all men differ in ability. But the country asks only certain things from its individuals. To be fair the point is to ask the same from all. The country gives only certain things to its individuals: the point is to give the same to all. Our country doesn’t demand military service in time of peace, as do many other countries. And, in return, it doesn’t give us a tremendous standing army. If it did demand military service, to be fair it would have to make the demand equally of all able to bear arms. If it did give us a big standing army, to be fair it would have to use this army to protect us all equally.