Why you shouldn’t accept tax-collection
January 17, 2010
If a gang of kids ruled a school playground absolutely, and demanded payments from the other kids, in return for which they would protect them from harm, and if they refused, they would beat them up — would you accept that? This is the mafia on a smaller scale — and do you accept them?
Most people say no. But most people would think it absurd to refuse to pay taxes. Why? It’s the exact same concept: pay us money or face punishment. In return for your money, we will protect you. Why is one acceptable but not the other? What is the difference?
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I look at it as not so much extortion as a “membership fee”, similar to what you would pay to be a part of a social organization such as a fraternity, and being a part of that organization grants you the benefits of a member.
Benefits include access to public roads, health care, and education. You aren’t required to pay taxes, but if you live on club property (that is, your country of choice), then you essentially are agreeing to be part of that club/abide by their rules.
If you do not want to pay taxes, think about living somewhere on your own, completely free of any government. I don’t think I need to spell out the many shortcomings your life would have without the benefits a government provides.
If you take issue with the tax policies your government has put in place, you do have a voice in your government (I assume you are not from China), and have as much say as any other citizen.
This is true — in fact, it is an elaboration of what I said with a very positive tone. Yes, paying taxes brings you benefits. Yes, paying bullies at school brings you benefits. If you want to look at it as a “fraternity” — even though I think that phrase is entirely inappropriate — you are by all means entitled to do so.
Where you digress, and in my opinion wrongfully, is where you say that refusing to pay taxes yields no repercussions greater than the disadvantage of being without a government. Think about what would actually happen if refused to pay taxes: you’d be fined or imprisoned — in other words, punished. The same thing happens with school bullies: refuse to pay them, and be punished.
Note that the intention of this article was not as an actual argument against government — I’d dedicate a whole lot more than two paragraphs to such a purpose — but as an observation of the parallels between tax-collection, which is fully accepted, and bullying, which is not.
By the way, the title is “Why you shouldn’t accept tax-collection” not “The parallels between tax-collection and the school yard bully,” so the article reads like an argument by analogy whose conclusion is stated in the title. Perhaps, then, your title is misleading.
Hello Euphorix,
While there are parallels between the two situations, your analogy is flawed. The difference is that, in theory, you choose your government but you can’t choose the school yard bully. By voting for politicians (or parties) who support higher or lower taxes (representing your views), in effect you have a say in government (taxation) policy. Perhaps it’s more akin to students who run for class president. If they collect small change from each student on a regular basis, that money can be put towards candy or more toys. You pick the student you think will spend the money best.
Now, whether or not this is how the system actually works is a different question. Perhaps one candy store is providing free candy to one of the students running for class president…would that student represent their peers or the candy store?
Question: would you run to the police if you were under attack?