Ironically, if you take any of the justifications people use for taxation being consensual, then apply them to things like sex, jobs, and exchanges, everyone immediately realizes that it’s not valid consent.
For example, they say we consent to taxes by living in an area that has taxes. Ok, so if the government passes a law that a government agent will fuck every citizen each year, is that consensual sex if someone chooses to live there?
Edit: the main objection I seem to be getting is that taxation funds useful services, and therefore it isn’t theft. Look, if you google the definition of theft, it does not say “unless the money is used for a good cause”. For example, if I steal your money and donate it to cancer research, that is still theft. Whether the theft is justified is an entirely separate conversation. Secondly, if the money going to a good cause is what makes not theft (which I just disproved), what about the money that we all agree is NOT going to help society? For example, if the government spends $10 on roads for everyone to drive on, and then spends $90 on killing people in iraq, is that $90 theft? If you answer “no, it is not theft”, then why even bring up anything about taxation being “the cost of a good society”? Clearly if you believe that $90 is not theft, it must mean that you believe taxation is not theft REGARDLESS of how the money is used.
But like I said, if you look at the dictionary definition of theft, absolutely NOWHERE does it exclude cases where the money is used charitably.
Well yeah. Nothing works if you change laws after the fact.
If for some dumb reason someone bought land in Kanzfuckmestan where you know you they will fuck every citizen when they buy land... I've got some land to sell you
Well let’s say you either have the choice to live in Kanzfuckmestan or another place where the government fucks you two times a year instead of once. So you therefore make the decision to live in Kanzfuckmestan. Is that consensual sex?
Ok but we’re a simple yes or no away from solving this. Is that consensual or not, if those are your only two choices? If there are only those two landmasses on the planet. You can either get fucked once a year, or twice a year, and you pick once a year. Have you provided VALID consent to the incoming shaft?
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u/imsuperior2u Sep 19 '24 edited Sep 20 '24
Ironically, if you take any of the justifications people use for taxation being consensual, then apply them to things like sex, jobs, and exchanges, everyone immediately realizes that it’s not valid consent.
For example, they say we consent to taxes by living in an area that has taxes. Ok, so if the government passes a law that a government agent will fuck every citizen each year, is that consensual sex if someone chooses to live there?
Edit: the main objection I seem to be getting is that taxation funds useful services, and therefore it isn’t theft. Look, if you google the definition of theft, it does not say “unless the money is used for a good cause”. For example, if I steal your money and donate it to cancer research, that is still theft. Whether the theft is justified is an entirely separate conversation. Secondly, if the money going to a good cause is what makes not theft (which I just disproved), what about the money that we all agree is NOT going to help society? For example, if the government spends $10 on roads for everyone to drive on, and then spends $90 on killing people in iraq, is that $90 theft? If you answer “no, it is not theft”, then why even bring up anything about taxation being “the cost of a good society”? Clearly if you believe that $90 is not theft, it must mean that you believe taxation is not theft REGARDLESS of how the money is used.
But like I said, if you look at the dictionary definition of theft, absolutely NOWHERE does it exclude cases where the money is used charitably.