Thoreau’s more important writing than Walden is on Civil Disobedience.
He was kind of a 19th century survivalist — I just saw Viggo Mortensen raising his kids on Dostoevsky, Chomsky, hunting, exercise and Nature in “Captain Fantastic”. He was into “opting out.”
Here is his argument: voting is fine but don’t feel proud of yourself. If your government commits moral wrongs (mass slavery, war on México as they did at the time), then you must not go along.
Like what? Don’t pay taxes. They will put you in jail then let you go. But if you start something perhaps many others will follow you. Far more powerful than voting.
He does not say obstruct — he doesn’t suggest terrorism for example.
But he does say never mind the law.
In our own day
– the IRS officer that could leak Trump’s taxes
– the Homeland Security staff that could delete the religion column in some spreadsheet
– the U.K. trade official who would rather quit than support unrealistic strategy against the EU
– the CIA staff that refuses to revise their view on Russian hacking
– and if you are asked to march at the Inaugural…or serve in this administration… you should know there will be other Inaugurations to march at that do not stand for what this one stands for
On this topic I believe IndivisibleGuide.com made a great statement and case for what we need to do.