Taxation is theft

I'll begin my argument by stating the fact that I'm an American citizen. In you're opening paragraph, you state that you "do not agree that taxes must be the only way to fund those services." You're simply shifting the argument to now say that taxes shouldn't be the only thing the government should use to pay for various services they provide. So now you're ok with taxes being collected to pay for certain things but they shouldn't be the only way to pay for it? I'm glad that you do realize taxes are, for the most part, unavoidable. Benjamin Franklin also noted that "Nothing is certain except death and taxes". Since you say taxes shouldn't be the only way of paying for government programs and services, please give an effective alternative that governments all over the globe have missed for hundreds of years. "The government must ultimately rely on violence to enforce all of its laws. It may give you every opportunity to comply before actually using any force, but that doesn't change the fact that the threat is present. The simple truth of it is if laws did not include the threat of violence, however far down the chain of escalating consequence, no one would follow them. Or at least far fewer people would. All laws end at the point of a gun, they must if they are to have any real power." You're exactly correct. Every law is enforced or simply no one would follow them, and I completely agree with you. You say you're against the use of violence when enforcing laws, but what else is there to do if a citizen of the government is willfully breaking the laws? What do you do? They obviously have proved they won"t comply with written law, so why would they comply with anything else you try to get them to do? "Without the use of force, the government would have no recourse when people disobey their laws." That statement literally just contradicted your whole argument and proved my point. When someone commits tax evasion, which is what the argument has shifted to, the only way the government can end up getting the money you OWE them (by living in their country under their protection) is to somehow make you give it to them. You are probably going to argue that such action is immoral, which in some cases is, but a person who has gotten to that point has violated a law which they are required to follow in the country in which they live. They simply are not complying with law. Instead of complaining about what the government does when you violate their laws, why don"t you follow the laws? No harm no foul. As a citizen of a country, you are required to obey laws and pay taxes whether you want to or not, that's just simple government, and it"s been that way for thousands of years. Yes, it is your duty as a citizen to pay taxes. Being a citizen is completely voluntary. Do you think the government should just give you citizenship on free terms? You agree to follow the laws and" here it comes" pay taxes. In return for your loyalty and obedience to the government, they give you citizenship, which has many benefits. I'm assuming you're an ordinary, law abiding citizen. Why is the fact that it is law that you, and millions of other citizens, are required to pay the government taxes in exchange for protection, programs, and services that benefit you as a citizen such a problem? Taxation is simply not theft. It is obvious you don't live anywhere for free, so why do you think the government should let you live free in their country? I don't see the issue or the immorality. "Did the government of Nazi Germany or Mao's China have this same moral exemption? How far can a government go for "The greater good". Is anything any government does "moral" by default, so long as they pass a law saying it is ok before they do it? Are some governments exempt from morality and others not? Or are they all exempt so long as they call themselves a government?" That"s ridiculous. No one is arguing that government is exempt from morality. Why are you comparing death, famine, and genocide to the collection of taxes? It is in no way immoral for a government to require a citizen to pay them so they can live in their country. Since we"re comparing situations, is rent theft? I"m sure you wouldn"t argue that a landlord requiring you to pay rent is theft, would you? Of course you wouldn"t, you live under the conditions which they set, and you pay them rent in exchange for their property in which you live. Taxation is, in a way, the government"s way of requiring you to pay rent. You live in their country under their conditions (laws) and pay them so you can live "under their wing". Where is the immorality? My conclusion to this section is that taxation is simply not theft, you as a citizen pay taxes and follow laws in exchange for the governments protection, programs, and services that benefit all citizens. You even stated that "Without the use of force, the government would have no recourse when people disobey their laws", which is true, but it is in no way immoral for the government to use force when you are proving to not comply and fulfil your duties as a citizen.