> The argument is that you obviously don't deserve the money you get, therefore it should be taxed. That's not a very compelling argument. I think that's a mis

> The argument is that you obviously don't deserve the money you get, therefore it should be taxed. That's not a very compelling argument. I think that's a misreading. I think the key insight that demolishes slogans like "taxation is theft" is that property, taxation, and theft are all concepts that have no independent existence, but are rather social conventions subject to social definition. Taxation isn't theft because it isn't defined that way by social convention. Society has things it needs to to collectively, and it's convenient to use its money-system to accomplish those things. Society also reckons that income is can be distributed unjustly, and taxation is a way of correcting that. Society's social conventions and definitions are made accordingly.