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Comment by wincy | Hacker News Reader

It’s theft because you get thrown in prison if you don’t pay. It’s little better than the mafia, only we’ve been brainwashed to think it’s okay by being forced to attend public schools. I wouldn’t consider it theft if paying taxes was voluntary. Maybe the fire department and police shouldn’t show up if I don’t pay, maybe I can’t drive anywhere, but they shouldn’t show up and steal my home then imprison me. Prison for unpaid taxes is just modern day debtors prison.

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> Maybe the fire department and police shouldn’t show up if I don’t pay

That would be a hazard for your neighbours though. Like it or not, living in a society also means you have duties towards your fellow citizens.

volunteer fire departments who only put out house fires for people who pay is actually a thing. voluntaryism is quite doable on the local level.

I would call that commercial fire services. “Volunteer” fire departments usually refer to a different arrangement.

It's not theft because you're free to leave any time. You stay, you agree to the social contract - otherwise you're the one stealing from everyone else.

While I 100% agree that "taxation is not theft" and I realize that they're necessary (and legal!) and I pay them....we're not really "free to leave at any time".

For one thing, the United States has a 30% expatriation tax. They will take 30% of your wealth just for leaving.

So leaving has a price, it's still not theft.

It means you're not "free" to go.

You're free to go.

Your stuff (which was partially acquired via exploitation of the ecosystem that is the country that wants those taxes... Bet you drove on a public road) isn't.

Maybe, but I can't "just leave".

Sure you can, you even get to keep 70% of the things you acquired while participating in the social contract! That's a pretty generous severance package.

Not free as a beer, free as in freedom. Modulo dictatorships.

You are also free to leave the neighbour if you don't want to pay the mafia for "protection". It's not theft, right?

Well if you abandon the right to all government services, then someone else will be stealing your home instead so, idk, pick your poison.

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