The Minutes of Our Last Meeting – 1790 House Committee on Immigration Meets with President George Washington
Washington - Why don’t we ever get people from Norway stacking themselves in the bowels of ships clamoring to come to America?
"Taxation is Theft."
"Taxation is theft" is a phrase I've been seeing a lot lately. Famous "Libertarians" like Penn Jillette are pictured with some quote remarking that taxation is equivalent to the government robbing us at gun point. Which is fine. He's allowed his opinion about that, and I certainly agree with Jillette on other things (his story about becoming an atheist is great, I think).
So, I want to work through this, on the internet, so that we can all be on the same page.
If taxation is theft, and theft is wrong, let us stop taxation.
The stomach tightens and sinks.
The heart and lungs follow.
It’s a confounding reaction to a receipt of affection.
It’s familiar, and, therefore, oddly comforting.
But familiarity can be a curse.
A cursed reminder of what once went wrong when you were just trying to do things right this time.
This time it’ll be different, you say.
Why? You’re different, but what are you doing differently?