…whenever the legislators [lawmakers] try to take away, and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are then no longer required to give their obedience. when legislators try take for themselves, or put into the hands of others, absolute power over the lives, liberties, and property of the people, by this breaking of trust they forfeit the power which the people had put into their hands…
– john locke,
second treatise of government,
1690
according to locke, what may happen when legislators destroy someone’s property?
people may become beholden to the government.
people may stop doing what the government says.
people may give the government more power.
people may decide to return to the state of nature.