From: Mike Lorrey (mlorrey@datamann.com)
Date: Sun Jul 29 2001 - 10:13:30 MDT
Lee Corbin wrote:
>
> Russell Blackford, reasonable as ever, writes
>
> > It's just that some of the statements I was reading struck me as
> > under-theorised, hence my comment (but who knows?). E.g the "taxation is
> > theft" meme seems to avoid questions about when is it and is it not *morally
> > reasonable* to have legal norms relating to property based on considerations
> > similar to Locke's theory, or the homesteading theory? When is it *morally
> > reasonable* to qualify such property laws with laws relating to an
> > obligation to pay taxes (to contribute to social aims etc)?
>
> My own view of "taxation is theft" might not be too far from yours.
> You're right there is a continuum here. I gave some examples
> earlier where taxes could be necessary in a modern country that
> is based on any human culture that I've seen. Namely, if your
> group already maintains a very high level of liberty, and you
> don't want to lose it, then resistence to invaders damn near
> justifies any means.
Not necessarily. In a properly libertarian society, any individual with
the cash can buy or make a nuclear weapon, or any other weapon.
Taxation, in my mind, is only NOT theft when the individual is free to
choose what government services they wish to pay for and which not to
pay for.
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