Is tax theft?

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2ndRateMind
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Is tax theft?

Post #1

Post by 2ndRateMind »

So, this tends to come up from time to time, when arguing social issues. So I thought we might discuss it some, and see if we can't arrive at an understanding.

To kick off, in democratic nation states, the people vote for the government flavour, and therefore tax regime, they want. They have a say in the matter, unlike having your wallet stolen by a thug with a knife in a street-mugging. I think we need be clear on the difference between the two. If you don't like the tax regime, you can peacefully advocate a different one, or vote for it, or campaign and demonstrate, or stand for office, depending on how committed to the cause you are.

My contention, therefore, is that tax is not theft, merely a civil duty, and one that allows an advanced society to function, from which we all benefit. However irksome that duty may sometimes seem.

Best wishes, 2RM.

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Re: Is tax theft?

Post #21

Post by Purple Knight »

2ndRateMind wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 11:26 amI can't honestly say my heart bleeds for the said ultra-rich! They seem perfectly capable of looking after themselves.
If at all possible, I would want to help buy them out of any land they hold (just the land) in a country they feel infringes on their rights by not being anarchist, so they can take all their stuff and their business to Somalia or some other anarchist paradise and run it there.

Would they want that solution?

Well, that's always a good acid-test: If something is really and truly a wrong, would the claimant want a reparation that is fair to them as well as others to address that wrong?

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Re: Is tax theft?

Post #22

Post by The Barbarian »

I wonder if the people who think taxes are theft or slavery would go for a law that would let them opt out, while agreeing that they would receive nothing at all from government. No fire services, no police protections, no access to courts if someone should wrong them. No medical services supported by government money, no libraries supported by government etc.

Pretty much, such a person would have to live somewhere in an undeveloped place in Idaho, but if a corporation decided they wanted his land, they would only have to have sufficient force to take it from him.

Seems unlikely.

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Re: Is tax theft?

Post #23

Post by Purple Knight »

The Barbarian wrote: Sun Jan 31, 2021 7:15 pm I wonder if the people who think taxes are theft or slavery would go for a law that would let them opt out, while agreeing that they would receive nothing at all from government. No fire services, no police protections, no access to courts if someone should wrong them. No medical services supported by government money, no libraries supported by government etc.
Also they can't use sidewalks, nor roads.

"But, then I'm fenced in!" they would cry.

You mean... that just because someone else* owns a great and disproportionate deal of private property and won't let you on it, you are unreasonably restricted? You don't say. Buy a helicopter.

*here someone else, a collective that collectively owns and pays for the maintenance of this property (roads and sidewalks), since every taxpayer paying for roads now does so 100% voluntarily, almost like a big business with investors

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Re: Is tax theft?

Post #24

Post by benchwarmer »

Purple Knight wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 4:38 pm Buy a helicopter.
Even a helicopter wouldn't help. They run on avgas or jet fuel which is taxed. Just buying the helicopter will incur taxes.

To the OP:

No, tax is not theft. It is how we pay for the services that the government provides. That's not to say the cost/benefit ratio is in your favor, but I personally prefer it to needing to pay out of pocket for every single service myself.

The only real alternative is pay per use for EVERYTHING that you don't personally own. i.e. as soon as you leave your property, you will have to pay for use of anything that was improved by someone else or any service provided to you.

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