If a government derives it's powers from the consent of the governed, then a government should never have the ability to use force or coercion on it's people.
A non-free program is a predatory social system that keeps people in a state of domination and division, and uses the spoils to dominate more. It may seem like a profitable option to become one of the emperor's lieutenants, but ultimately the ethical thing to do is to resist the system and put an end to it.