If a citizen opposes a particular government program or believes a law to be unjust, he is not free to exercise his own discretion. He is forced to participate in the program. He is forced to obey the law. Whereas in civil society individuals are free to act according to their own minds, in a politically controlled society everyone must subordinate their own will to that of the state's. Civil society promotes the dignity of each individual.
Government demands mindless conformity.
When civil society is left to the voluntary interaction of individuals, we call that liberty. When civil society is dominared by government, we call that statism. Rational human existence is impossible under statism because individuals are deprived of the freedom to act according to their own minds. Freedom itself is a necessary component of human life. Without it, individuals die spiritually, if not physically.