Hacker News Reader

"Social contracts", or regulations, solve coordination and transactional frictions problems:

http://www.raikoth.net/libertarian.html#coordination_problem...

http://world.std.com/~mhuben/faq.html#contract

The phrase "social contract" dates back to a 1762 treatise of the same name by philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The stated aim of the treatise to determine whether a political authority is legitimate, i.e. the monarchies of the time period.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Social_Contract

> I only believe in real contracts that I actually sign and agree to.

I think this position is a bit idealistic, since some level of State power is unavoidable and taxes will be levied whether or not we agree with them. (Unless you escape to a desert island)

So if the tax money is real and the consequences of not paying are real, then I expect something from the government in return!

(I do agree that State power needs to be kept in check.)