If you think the government as a land-owning cooperative, the taxation is theft idea goes away. Libertarians' confusion comes from using different language and

If you think the government as a land-owning cooperative, the taxation is theft idea goes away. Libertarians' confusion comes from using different language and concepts for the private and public sectors. Cooperative owns the land, sets the rules, and takes fees. Fees don't have to cover just expenses. Both left and right make the same slight of hand in economic arguments. They jump between ethics and economics arguments depending on who is doing what.