Re: [SCARE]: "If you only knew what we know..."

[Subir Grewal <grewals@acf2.NYU.EDU>]

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On Sun, 26 May 1996, Jean-Francois Avon wrote:

:How would you qualify the seizing of 50+ % of our productive work?
:<snip>
:Are you telling that giving your wallet to a mugger is not done under
:violence directed against you since he did not shoot you or beat you
:in the first place?  Do you tell me that the fact that he did not use
:his gun means that there is no violence implied?
:<snip>
:Under every pile of red-tape lies a fully loaded gun.  And *this* is
:what gives govt employees their attitude toward you.

It is quite obvious that the state enforces taxation via coercion, whether
that coercion always takes the form of "your money or your life" is
doubtful, more often it involves the threat of incarceration rather than
death.  The (supposed) difference between taxation and robbery is that one
is ostensibly deriving some benefit from taxation (i.e. even if it is used
for welfare, the argument is this is some sort of insurance scheme in that
you would derive some benefits if unemployed, we believe unemployment
insurance should be voluntary but that's another matter).  Of course the
state is inefficient and taxes do not always go where they are meant to,
but it is difficult to sustain an analogy between a mugging and taxation.
A money laundering scheme is probably much more appropriate (ironic
because we only launder money to pacify the state), you must appreciate
the subtlety of taxation.  You might very well believe that taxation is
robbery, and everyone else who reads Reason might agree with you, but the
rest of the world is not about to look at this in the same way, and you
hurt your cause by the rhetoric.  Most people, quite rightly in my
opinion, believe taxes are necessary and that collecting them forcefully
is the only option available to us.  The minimalist state will probably
have an "out" clause and you will be able to go out "into the woods" and
set up your own little libertarian (or anarcho-capitalist) commune with
all the others who believe all taxation is robbery, and you'll probably be
able to keep your Uzi to guard yoruself against your neighbours as well
(good luck).  I'll be happy with a state-run law enforcement agency (of a
form different from the one we have today of course).

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