Taxation-statement-Crowley

==Source==
Timothy Crowley of Allegheny County Libertarians
==Background==
"Taxation is theft." is a statement the Libertarian Party has to reason TOWARD, not reason FROM.
==Insights==
Otherwise, you may lose half of your potential members with the
first sentence. If someone is reading along at a deliberate speed,
you want them to understand the entire concept as they read. This is
too big a chunk. Also they can easily disagree because the terms
aren't used generally as synonyms. Perhaps they should be, but they
aren't.
You can't lead off with 'taxation is theft'. You have to reason
toward that position. Also hedge a bit and say that 'taxation, in
practice, is almost exactly like theft.' or, "Taxation and theft are
in most respects synonyms." Reason toward taxation = theft, not from it.
You avoid a lot of literalist arguments around the fringes. Your
main criticism of taxation remains intact and people stick around to
read the next platform plank.
Just because the point was decided on an obscure email group years
ago, doesn't mean that it can be presented to potential members as an
absolute, without explanation.
==Links==
* Taxation
* Timothy Crowley