Topic: Is taxation theft? - page 22. (Read 75960 times)

As already mentioned, healthcare is a strict necessity that can not go. Furthermore, the spending on health care are only so atrociously high because pharma and insurance companies make up arbitrarily high prices that do not even remotely reflect their costs. It's an outright scam that nobody cares to do anything about, all while voting for some redundant party or presidential candidate that won't do jackshit about any of the underlying core issues.

Why Taxation Might Be a Form of Theft

Imagine that I have founded a charity organization that helps the poor. But not enough people are voluntarily contributing to my charity, so many of the poor remain hungry. I decide to solve the problem by approaching well-off people on the street, pointing a gun at them, and demanding their money. I funnel the money into my charity, and the poor are fed and clothed at last.

In this scenario, I would be called a thief. Why? The answer seems to be: because I am taking other people’s property without their consent. The italicized phrase just seems to be what “theft” means. “Taking without consent” includes taking by means of a threat of force issued against other people, as in this example. This fact is not altered by what I do with the money after taking it. You wouldn’t say, “Oh, you gave the money to the poor? In that case, taking people’s property without consent wasn’t theft after all.” No; you might claim that it was a socially beneficial theft, but it was still a theft.

Now compare the case of taxation. When the government “taxes” citizens, what this means is that the government demands money from each citizen, under a threat of force: if you do not pay, armed agents hired by the government will take you away and lock you in a cage. This looks like about as clear a case as any of taking people’s property without consent. So the government is a thief. This conclusion is not changed by the fact that the government uses the money for a good cause (if it does so). That might make taxation a socially beneficial kind of theft, but it is still theft.

I think that taxes are used for other purposes. Instead of improving the situation in the country, this money is used for the entertainment of rulers and for war. I believe that taxes do not need to be paid and then it will be better.

As already mentioned, healthcare is a strict necessity that can not go. Furthermore, the spending on health care are only so atrociously high because pharma and insurance companies make up arbitrarily high prices that do not even remotely reflect their costs. It's an outright scam that nobody cares to do anything about, all while voting for some redundant party or presidential candidate that won't do jackshit about any of the underlying core issues.

Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security spends vastly more than the Iraq war each year.

Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security spends vastly more than the Iraq war each year.

These are just small pocket-change when compared to the trillions being spent on invading various third world nations. For example, the invasion of Iraq cost the American tax payers close to $2 trillion (till now).

You are so right! The government sucks at everything, see these two cases in the last month illustrating massive government waste of taxpayer money.

(2 million dollar park bathroom) http://pix11.com/2017/07/06/tiny-2-million-dollar-public-bathroom-opens-in-brooklyn-park/

(Man built park stairs for $550 after $65,000 government quote) http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/07/20/canadian-man-builds-park-stairs-for-550-even-though-city-said-project-would-cost-65g.html

Sadly for you, you don't understand that there are some places where all of those services are private and you are not forced to pay for them.

My water company, internet company, phone company are all private companies that I don't have to use and they have competing companies so you go with the best service for you.

Everything, and yes I literally mean EVERYTHING, can be taken care of privately without the government. Open your fucking minds and realize that taking money from people under the thread of violence is a pretty shitting thing to do. Call it theft, call it extortion, call it whatever you want...it's pathetic and wrong.

No more than it is theft for you to drive down a toll road and not pay the toll. Or utilize the water system when you didn't help build it or better yet access the internet when how much did you help build those? Even the water company and telecommunication company you pay each month to use that service more than likely didn't invest in the system you're using, they simply maintain it and are regulated not to charge you an arm & a leg to do so.

If you are forced to pay it, it's theft. Period.