Of course the individuals who act in their capacity as government employees affect all the outcomes of state action. You may be more of an Austrian than you thi

Of course the individuals who act in their capacity as government employees affect all the outcomes of state action. You may be more of an Austrian than you think if you refuse to recognize "society" and "the state" as independent actors. > The assertion that taxation is legalized theft enforced through the threat of force is a popular one in certain circles, but it isn't the self-evident fact you believe it to be, either. What other collection of individuals claims this privilege but the state? (see what I did there ;-) ) Seriously though: if I get a band of guys together and point a gun at you and force you to hand over 25% of your income to us, wouldn't that be illegal? But if I wear a badge and the band of guys is the enforcement arm of the IRS, that's any different? A more complete analysis: https://mises.org/library/taxation-robbery https://mises.org/library/taxation-robbery