Is Taxation Theft?

Not really, because a lot of people who pay taxes get nothing in return but hardship. And furthermore, you could literally pardon outright tyranny with such a blanket statement as that: “oh, tax burdens made food so expensive you can't afford to eat … well, starvation is the price of being a member in the club … dontcha know”

Not everyone who pays taxes is privileged … they are exclusive by definition. How about just the privileged pay taxes … that would be fair?

 

Food products aren't taxed for the consumer. Only restaurants and non-essential food is taxed.

Not by a long shot. As well, remember, your taxes support things that are taken for granted every day. If you have specific qualms about certain government programs, that's fine and a healthy criticism to have of your government.

 

I don't know about the "privileged" but the highest earning 49% pay almost all of the federal income tax. And landowners pay all the realestate property tax.

 

To the extent that taxation funds what it should not, it is legal theft, but theft none the less.

'Right' and 'wrong' is not unlike the straight line in a dollar sign, and the law is not unlike the S. Sometimes the law is on the right side and sometimes it's on the wrong side, and occasionally they cross paths.

 

To tax the states ... Not the individuals!

 

I agree with your sentiment and frustration over the current level and use of taxes. Should you argue that our income tax system is biased and unequal, and therefore unfair by definition — I'd agree with you. I'd even agree that there's something wrong with an unfair tax.

But right and wrong are subjective evaluations, legal and illegal are not. Theft is defined as illegal seizure of person's property. The phrase legal theft is a contradiction.


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Spoken like a true communist!

 

To whom are you responding? We do have several communists or almost communists on the forum.

 

Hahahahaha! I don't know where to begin with that one! First of all, I never elected to be a U.S. citizen. I was born here. I never signed any contract. I never agreed to taxation. I believe in USER FEES. If I use it, I pay for it. If I don't use it, I don't pay for it. Secondly, if I chose NOT to be a U.S. citizen, I have no other choice, but to be a slave of another statist country. The United States of America is a CORPORATION. I do not belong to this corporation. I am free and sovereign. MY CHOICE! Got that? I have the natural/God-given right to travel wherever and whenever I choose. I have the right NOT to pay for the irresponsible choices of others. I give "permission" to no one to abuse my rights ... it matters not if they were elected by mob-rule. This country is SUPPOSED to be a Republic ... NOT a democracy, where two wolves and a sheep decide what's for dinner ... whereby, the sheep loses. Our Bill of Rights was SUPPOSED to protect my INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS ... NOT the desires of the mob. In THIS country, 51% was NOT supposed to strip the 49% of their individual rights. DO YOUR RESEARCH!

 

[quote, originally by Taxpayer in his signature]Henry George's theories were based on land ownership and how far a business was from a public resource like a mill or waterway. The man lived and died a decade before the model T was produced much less modern transportation and communication. Not only did Henry George never hear of the Internet, he barely lived long enough to see the electric light. Applying the theories of Henry George to modern nations is about as risky as letting the most brilliant caveman design your next airport.[/quote]

Probably the most glaring deficiency of Georgism is the near perfect conditions of government spending and economic situations required for it to work. Even his most dedicated follower, Joseph Stiglitz showed that it required certain conditions and efficient spending by the government will increase aggregate land rents by an equal amount. That being the case means that in the US Georgism will not accomplish what he and George would like it to accomplish. It would do nothing but replace real estate property tax, which, since it does not charge tax on improvements will cost cities and states either large losses in revenue or create a very not progressive tax. If a vacant lot is side by side with a 50 story high rise on an adjacent same sized lot the land with the high rise will be highly under taxed, or the vacant lot will be confiscatory. Just one more example of the scam of Georgism.

 

Taking advantage of what? Refusing to contribute is theft? Hahahaha! So, welfare recipients who DO NOT CONTRIBUTE are stealing ... right? Yeah, that's right. I never "assigned" that job to anyone. I never "assigned" my government the job of stealing from me, to give to those who DO NOT CONTRIBUTE! Yes, I believe in contributing to the "functions of government" .. those functions which is USE. As for belonging to an "advanced nation" ... I never subscribed to that, either. I just want my individual rights back ... to live freely, as nature intended ... without the interference from government or the rest of you communists who think I owe you something.

 

To WHAT social contract do you refer? I never signed it. Therefore, it is null and void!

 

Well-said!

 

YOU WISH!

 

Not necessarily. Theft can be legal. That is one of the primary lessons of history. The last century was replete with legal theft by the Communists, Nazis and several other types of communists.

I am left to believe that the vast majority of theft is legal.

Theft is first and formost a moral issue not a legal issue.

 

My suggestion to all of you who believe that taxation is theft is, move to a place where taxes are more draconian than in the US. But when you want to come back, forget it. You have blown your one and only chance.

 

The reality is that lowlifes who sneakily commit tax fraud are criminals, as are those who openly defy any law. That is the reality in all advanced, democratic nations.

If you are aware of any where such a responsibility is not expected, what nation might that be? Be specific regarding your ideal nation.




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I would vote in favor of laws that preclude anyone, including the government, from taking what belongs to others.

 

Taxation is a strategy. By working and paying taxes you make the ones in control over the (financial and/or capitalistic) system and banks wealthier (more powerful)
At the same time people get angry when they find out they are actually semi-slaves of the system (they have to return half of their income via a clever financial tactic)

And tyranny leads to anger, anger to resistance and political struggle, and that is leading to the organisation of an entire society/country, and that can eventually lead to the worsed thing that can happen in history, dictatorship/empire and war.

For thousands of years slavery, and since the industrial revolution and politics it became semi-'slavery'.
So the next phase in history is to end the last remaining details of slavery completely (taxation is such a detail, labour from 9-5 too, but most people accept that part, some do part-time jobs, or flex jobs), and there is only one way to reach that point, reduce political fight (which will reduce the artificial organisation of a population), stop it and change the system to one without taxes (except some small road fees, because roads wear out, need to be fixed somehow)
Change to a world without a system that is based on capital, monopolies and imperialistic banks and politics that only cause problems and (artifical) organisation.
(the thing that let a system run is energy, and nature has lots of it (geothermical, tidal, solar, wind, hydro), oil and coal and nuclear will one day run dry)
Once you have a system that runs on a different fundament, all problems caused by a system with a capitalistic fundament are (almost) gone (money will stay, because you need a means of payment)

 

Unfortunately, if you have ever voted for someone who won office, Republican or Democrat, you effectively voted to take from some and transfer it to those who vote for those who transfer. That's why I can no longer vote Republican. I have never and will never vote democrat.

 

I voted for democrats many times and a republican once, starting with JFK. All but one won election. I am proud of my voting record and my country, and I strongly support a progressive income tax system as those who make more get more value from our infrastructure and should pay more. Like I said earlier, if you don't like it here, LEAVE.

 

It is in my opinion. Those who don't like it here should leave. We don't need you. If you are not satisfied with my answer, put me on ignore. Now putting me on ignore is a shallow response.

I feel great. At 78 I have run into shallow, hate America punks for many years, and few understand the need for taxes or even want to understand the need for taxes. That seems to include you. If you are dissatisfied with taxes being used to help the needy you are just plain selfish; if you are dissatisfied with taxes supporting a strong defense, you are intellectually challenged; and if you are just complaining because it is your nature, GROW THE HELL UP; at 51 you should know better.

 

I am becoming as anti-American as those who were anti-American before America was transformed from a nation of people endowed by their Creator with rights into a nation of people endowed by each other with entitlements.

To consider anything that comes from other people a right one must fundamentally redefine a right. Such a redefinition fundamentally redefines America.

I will stay. I will pick and choose which laws to comply with and which laws to disregard.

 

I agree that entitlements are getting out of hand, but I still agree with helping the truly needy. I also agree that we have gone down hill since we took God out of the mix; but when you pick and choose which laws with which to comply you put yourself above the law, and now one is really above the law.