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I feel like I'm in crazytown when I express distress about taxation - literally people forcibly taking away your property - and ppl act like I'm the crazy one. Sure, you could argue that this forcible theft is worth it, and I'll respect that, but it's still not crazy to be upset.

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Aella

@Aella_Girl

Replying to

@HistoryBoomer

I think taxation is theft and it is always bad. I think bad is inevitable but we should minimize the amount of it; I think *some* taxation is necessary before the other badness kicks in, but it's way, way lower than what we have right now.

6:22 PM · Apr 24, 2021

Replying to

and

But where does the notion of theft come from when, if you're talking about say your value in the labour market, that is only being determined within a taxed society. If you earn $20 per hour and pay $4 tax, why do you think this is theft? Why are you sure it should be $20?

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and

?? I mean sure it's only determined in a taxed society, because we're making agreements in a society that's taxed, but if I own $20, fully, I'm not legally allowed to transfer what I own to you in full. Even if I *want to do this*, I can't. A third party says it's illegal.

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Replying to

and

We should maximize the taxation that enhances the well-being of society. It's not apparent to me that we've reached that state. Rampant inequality coupled with a struggling lower-middle class is a cancer that destroys societies.

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and

If you think you're completely alone in the world that makes sense. If you think you live in a system your taxes are a contribution to maintain the system. One can question how much of the system could be provided eg. by the market, but counterpoint markets also need maintaining.

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and

Disagree. The only thing that is bad is the concentration of power - which is the inevitable spiral of no taxation. That's evil.

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and

For taxation to be theft, you need to enshrine private ownership. But please, explain to me: how — in terms of ethics — can somebody take a piece of the Earth and say “that's mine, and nobody else can have it”?

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and

Without some form of government you’d pay that in protection fees to some gang or warlord in exchange for physical security. That’s why the state has to monopolize violence. Think of it as a protection racket, but one you actually have some control over besides what you pay.

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What government services would you get rid of?

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and

book recommendation a libertarian walks into a bear the true story about tax = theft crowd organizing to take over grafton, nh and turn it into a libertarian utopia spoiler alert it all goes pear shaped & made black bears into an intractable problem for the whole region

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and

If taxation is always bad, how do you propose common infrastructure and services be built, managed and maintained?