-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- 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). hostmaster@trill-home.com * Symbiant test coaching * Blue-Ribbon * Lynx 2.5 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 Comment: Key Escrow = Conscription for the masses | 2048 bit via finger iQB1AwUBMakLFxwDKqi8Iu65AQHDVQL+OqP/NogXPNYXTfYE2JmYcpsaR84ToMti X2iToIWKQ6F7xUzYT/lbiOg45h8KLPXr6BNpoVpoVowukXdM8ZTEVTaARpMM/iY2 bF6FUZ33c41eV58ZJriJh6yjMjlKwUsE =u2vX -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----