The No Treason Podcast Ep. 5: Absolute Power, Property, and the Illusion of Consent

Jonathan Drake continues his deep exploration of Lysander Spooner’s No Treason: The Constitution of No Authority by unpacking Sections 6 and 7, where Spooner exposes how the Constitution grants government agents “absolute and irresponsible power.” Jonathan examines the Speech and Debate Clause and its implications for unchecked authority, connecting it to modern examples like immunity for lawmakers and pharmaceutical companies. Through first principles and natural law, he explains how property rights, consent, and personal sovereignty intersect, and how the Constitution, as written, effectively transforms citizens into property of the state. With analogies ranging from tree service contracts to modern elections, Jonathan drives home how accountability was designed out of the system, leaving Americans with only the illusion of choice. The episode closes with Spooner’s haunting observation that “a man is nonetheless a slave because he is allowed to choose a new master once in a term of years.” Insightful, challenging, and uncompromising, this installment lays bare the philosophical and moral contradictions at the heart of American governance.