By now, at some point, you’ve probably heard this now-cliché saying.
Maybe you’ve even been in a deep discussion about what it is and its meaning. It is through several of these discussions that you can truly hone your understanding and application of this true statement.
This statement is a favorite of mine. I have a sticker on my car, t-shirts in the drawer, and I use it pretty much non-stop on social media. Why? Because it is catchy and the majority will agree. It is indeed theft.
But what about the dissenters, and those unsure it can actually be real?
I want to spend a few moments looking at, what I consider, the best arguments against taxation being theft, and logically how they do not hold water.
- Taxation isn’t theft because taxes are in the constitution.
Great. Taxes are listed in the constitution. But that isn’t a very good argument for them not being theft. Webster’s defines theft as, “taking and removing of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of it.”
There you have it, while constitutional, taxation is indeed theft.
- Taxation isn’t theft because you still made a choice.
My favorite point during argument about taxation is that taxation removes choice. Recently, in a conversation, someone told me, “Well, you did have a choice, to pay them or not to pay them.” We reduced the “choice” to wage garnishment, arrest, taking of my home, and using weapons to coerce me during arrest. I then asked again how I had a choice. The retort was that I did indeed have a choice, but that I just didn’t like the consequences of one of the choices, that is, not paying my taxes.
What was missed during the discussion is that the choice isn’t whether or not I want to be arrested at gun point, though that is how the dissenter took the conversation. The choice is whether or not I want to fund a certain project. True choice is being able to determine the effects of funding or not funding a project and what would happen to me with either choice. Being arrested is not a part of that choice.
Let us say that you’re making a hot dog, and then I say, “Do you want ketchup or mustard?” The equivalent to this poor argument, is you tell me you do not want either so I whip out a baseball bat and beat you over the head. Where was that in the choices? Nowhere. Similarly, when funding a project, there is no option, “Choose neither and get arrested.” That’s not how choices work.
- No taxation isn’t feasibly possible.
While taxation is indeed theft. I will even concede that in the 1800’s, taxation was an expedient way to fund necessary government pieces. Keep in mind though, they didn’t have NEAR the government we have today. They didn’t even have income taxes or an IRS.
But that was then. Today I can do anything from my cell phone. A sticker tells a toll booth it is me when driving under the sensor on the highway. Amazon can decide I’m a prime member and give me shipping dates within second. I can make a whole host of benefits elections on the portal through work.
The fact of the matter is, today, we have the technology to easily have choice. Individuals should be allowed to make elections of what they do and don’t want to fund and how much.
- You actually don’t have to pay taxes if you don’t want.
This one had my attention! Please, tell me how, sir. Their offered solution? Quit working, become homeless, and live under a bridge. What they failed to realize with such statement is that in telling me that is how to avoid taxes, they willingly admitted that the government charges me nearly for everything. All the way down to working and putting a roof over my own head. Further, what they forgot was that if I walk 50 feet over to buy a drink to quench my thirst during the middle of the day of living under the bridge that I would have to pay, you guessed it, taxes.
- Well you can pack your bags and move!
This retort is also commonly said, but has horrific merit. Their idea behind this one, is not to argue that taxation is not theft. Their goal with this argument is to prove that everywhere else you could move to is worse. And, if everywhere else is worse, then you should just deal with it here. But why should we settle for status quo just because everywhere else is worse? Should we not desire to be better? Instead of comparing America with everywhere else, we should be comparing America with herself, and working on ways to improve it. There is a saying that is used in business that applies here, “If you’re not growing, you’re regressing.” Accepting that America is better than everywhere else means that we are indeed regressing. How long until we are not better than all the other countries? We need to be improving.
- The government needs money to function.
This is one of the biggest ones for me. The misnomer is that because taxation is theft, you’re automatically saying the government should function with $0. That simply isn’t the case. If you have choice, then it isn’t theft.
Let us use an example.
I do not want my tax money being given to and benefiting Planned Parenthood. Now whether or not you agree, remember, this is an example.
Under theft, my money is forcefully taken from me and given to Planned Parenthood without my consent. Theft.
But let us introduce choice. You’re doing your annual “government elections” online. You get to the healthcare section and there is the line item: Do you want to give to Planned Parenthood? If you love it, check yes and enter an amount of your choosing. If you don’t, check no, and move to the next selection. Choice.
The reason people don’t like choice is because they are afraid that what they want funded won’t be funded if you aren’t forced against your will to fund it.
This is why choice is so important. Monetary funding is the #1 way to control the government. Those programs that go underfunded either shrink to meet their funding, or they disappear completely. Those programs that the people want, get funded. It is simple and choice is how we use our money to keep the government in check.
If you advocate for theft, then you advocate for an unconstrained government.
Taxation is theft and it will always be theft. Choice is what is needed and we live in a day and age where technology makes choice possible. People are afraid of choice, because they are scared their pet project program will disappear. Truth be told, if they think it’ll disappear, then it should not be government funded in the first place.
Choose choice. Taxation is theft.