You raise an interesting premise.
We truly are captive to the Federal and State governments for taxes, not paying for Uncle Sam’s bill until early May.
Thus for one third of the year we work for the government that demands more and more from us each passing year.
And we must pay the tax on the entire income without deducting for the cost of providing our labor in exchange for the paycheck.
Our labor is worth something. Except when Uncle Sam does the accounting.
What have we gained? Not a whole lot. We’ve ended slavery yet submitted everyone to it.