Thoreau

Thoreau’s attitude of the government was that it was actually more harmful than helpful to people in society, therefore cannot be justified. He felt that civil disobedience of that government was needed by the people governed in order to keep the government from growing too powerful, through the corruption, and deception using expanded powers.  Civil, not meaning, polite or with respect, but rather "relating to citizens and their interrelations with one another or with the state".  

He insisted that instead of serving the people as government should, which he felt would never work, that the inevitable end would always have the people serving the government as a form of slavery. Thoreau spoke out against slavery and indicated through his writings that free thinking and actions of one’s own mind, of what was thought to be right and was far better than the mindless obedience of laws established by a government.

I personally agree with the statement that “the government is best which governs least”, because we all need to be self reliant and responsible for our lives and consequences of our actions. We should turn to ourselves for solutions to our needs, not rely on the government for answers to all our problems.   I believe the government should help in protecting our way of life, meaning freedoms granted by the constitution, but not to feed my family, or provide me with a roof over my head.  

Free land was given by the government in the expansion of the west, which was less expensive than the government building the infrastructure needed for a growing expanding population. The land was given away to those who would by their own means work the land building, creating and growing, through farming, raising livestock and eventually manufacturing. Only those that worked their claims of land and produced a product to assist for the needs of others, would be rewarded the deed to those lands for their efforts. Now presently in our current society, a majority of our population feels that they are entitled to the “free land” because others may have it. Regardless of the fact that the one’s who have received the rewards of their success by means of their own sacrifices and personal risks to achieve it.