Actually, tech[nology] has reached a point where individuals can wield more power than organized militaries, so there is no reason to submit[]even to a benevolent despot.
(Red colorization mine.)
Earth (i.e., Great Empire of Earth) is an imperial anarchist despotism: its law code is not publicly enforced (here, enforced by the G.E. government) but privately enforced (here, enforced by licensees thereof).
Sounds like 'you' play the same game as 'them', but maybe with fairer ethics. Still, it's not for me. As far as I'm concerned there is natural law, and then there are pretenders, like government wonkmeisters. My money is on the right horse.