From: Rafal Smigrodzki (rms2g@virginia.edu)
Date: Fri Aug 30 2002 - 07:56:16 MDT
Damien Broderick wrote:
As usual, I remain puzzled by this strange assertion. If most voters (which
is to say, most adults in `western' democracies and republics) agree that
tax is theft or extortion, might they not be expected to take one of two
immediate steps? First, resist it by refusing to pay. Second, vote
overwhelmingly for the first candidate who declares an intention of
abolishing taxation. I see so little evidence of either option that I'm
inclined to view the grumbling compliance of most taxpayers as endorsement
of the view that this is an acceptable way of handling certain costs. Of
course, one might surmise that most people are too stupid and cowed to be
allowed a serious choice, or too frightened of armed and brutal reprisal,
or that the definition of theft is written in the fabric of the cosmos and
requires no endorsement by mere fickle humans.
### I agree with this analysis. Taxes are not stealing - it's armed
extortion. Not being a libertarian, I have nothing against armed extortion
for the right purposes ("Some goals justify some means), although I believe
that the current practice of abusing extortion for non-life-sustaining
purposes, like subsidizing the lower class, the middle class, and the upper
class, is simply insane.
Rafal
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