The State Is A Serial Rapist

By Hans Sherrer ©

(May 20, 2009)

Rape is a misunderstood concept. It is typically thought of as a sexual assault crime. Yet, its primary definition does not refer to sex – or even a bodily assault. The Oxford English Dictionary primarily defines “rape” (n.) as “The act of taking something by force; esp. the seizure of property by violent means; robbery, plundering.” This definition dates from the first known use of rape in English about 1350. Even as a verb “rape” is defined in the OED as, “To take or seize (something) by force.” These definitions are consistent with the origin of rape in English from the Latin rapere, “to seize.” (All definitions from The Oxford English Dictionary online edition, May 6, 2009.)

Etymologically rape pertains to the forcible taking of things and property, not a person (or at least a person who is not legally considered as property or chattel).

Rape was first used in regards to a sexual assault almost 100 years after it began to be used in English to describe a property seizure. It was almost another 100 years (1529) before rape was first described as a sex related felony in England. (OED, “rape,” n.³b.) At the time a married woman was considered the property of her husband and a slave was considered the property of his or her owner. So it is possible rape came to be applied to a sexual assault because it involved the violation of a man’s property rights – the same as if a horse was stolen and later returned.¹ A more modern analogy is “joy riding” that involves the stealing of a person’s car with the intent to return it after it is used for a period of time. Over time rape effectively evolved to encompass the seizure of an individual’s property in the form of their body for a sexual purpose. So whether applied to a person’s property in the form of things or his or her body, rape remains a concept tied to the “act of taking something by force.”

A defining characteristic of a State is it claims the exclusive authority to define the acceptable use of force within a geographical area and enforce those norms. All edicts are issued with the weight of State enforced sanctions for non-compliance.

A fundamental need of the State is to pay for its activities. Three primary ways the State obtains the wealth it needs is through various domestic and border taxes, expropriation of “private” property through condemnation², and inflation of its currency. These processes are non-elective – a person or entity is not recognized as having the option to opt out of the State’s system.³

The State’s demands are imposed under the threat of a Godfather like mandate “that can’t be refused” without possible dire consequences. Noncompliance invites enforcement action by one or more State agencies. Compliant behavior is no more voluntary than when a woman “submits” to an overpowering assault. The only acquiescence by the attacked person involves limiting resistance as a strategy to minimize harm by the assailant.

Rape is a non-discriminatory concept that doesn’t include exceptions for who is engaging in “the seizure of property.” Thus when the State directly or through submission by the owner seizes some form of property, it is engaging in “the taking of something by force.” Although there are typically mechanisms whereby a person can contest the State’s seizure was erroneous or mistaken for some reason, it doesn’t change the character of the State’s forceful action resulting in the person’s loss of their property or claim to property. Consequently, the State is a serial rapist by its rape of every person whose property it seizes under the color of law.

Endnotes:

1 This suggestion is supported by references in English documents to the “rape” of a man’s wife or daughter, and the absence of mentioning unmarried women.

2 The same principle applies to the government backed seizure of property for the benefit of a private party’s development that will generate tax revenues.

3 Regulations on ownership or possession of commodities such as gems or precious metals can limit a person’s ability to “opt out” of being negatively affected by inflation, or at least limit its effects.