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Is taxation theft? Is taxation theft?
Yes, taxation is theft Yes, taxation is theft
No, taxation is not theft. No, taxation is not theft.
Taxation as theft is question-begging Taxation as theft is question-begging
Yes, taxation is theft, but theft can be justified Yes, taxation is theft, but theft can be justified
The government has no right to tax The government has no right to tax
Taxation is legal plunder Taxation is legal plunder
Not according to Social Contract Theory Not according to Social Contract Theory
Tax is an equalizing force, not a theft Tax is an equalizing force, not a theft
Pre-tax income does not belong to the taxpayer Pre-tax income does not belong to the taxpayer
Taxes determine incomes, not make up a part of them Taxes determine incomes, not make up a part of them
Property rights do not exist as natural rights but as social conventions Property rights do not exist as natural rights but as social conventions
Property is a state-granted privilege, that government can revoke Property is a state-granted privilege, that government can revoke
If property rights are justified on consequentialist grounds, they should not be viewed as absolute If property rights are justified on consequentialist grounds, they should not be viewed as absolute
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Is taxation theft?
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Yes, taxation is theft, but theft can be justified

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Property is a state-granted privilege, that government can revoke

Individuals lose the ability to freely use resources when other individuals or groups claim them as property. Therefore, in establishing property rights, societies privilege the beneficiaries while depriving the rest. If the state is to impose this arrangement on society, it must retain the ability to modify it.
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This page was last edited on Sunday, 4 Oct 2020 at 02:42 UTC

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