Oddbean

No, I have built relationships with my neighbors. It is hard to imagine, and I don’t know for sure, but I suspect you would find it much more difficult for your org to do a lot of the things that it does without the state. And if not your org directly, then maybe indirectly because of the people you work with. And yeah, you say that you just deal with contracts being broken, but surely you can imagine a situation where there is a contract that gets broken that you can’t just eat the loss of. There need to be ways to resolve these without just resorting to violence.

OK, so, did you build relationships by pointing a gun at their head and saying "we need to get along or else?" No. Nope. Dumb travel interferences, subsidization leading to less competition meaning higher costs and lower quality service, dealing with idiotoc and capricious tarrifs, limitations on transporting currency, the threat of federal prison for various non-violent "offenses," etc. That's not worth dealing with. Though, I don't mind a check when crossing boarders to another country. Yup. And it would suck, but I'd survive. Or not. Then it's not my worry anymore. I'd still rather not have da gubment involved.

None of what you just said is an argument against taxes. It’s all critiques of the government, how big it is, and what it’s doing. And that’s all valid. And, as a minarchist, I probably agree with you on a ton of that stuff. But you can critique all of that and still argue in favor of taxes.

Can you explain to me how taxation isn't coerced? Specifically in my case, where I do so not wish to pay taxes? Also: why coercively tax people? There are other ways to find things that don't require coercion. There was no income tax in the US until the Civil War, then it was repealed until 1913. I have never once agreed to any of this. Don't you dare claim that by participating in giving my permission. You don't ask the rape victim the same question because that's disgusting. Taxation is just as disgusting to me.

No, you have not. You haven't addressed the moral implication of the state and taxes. You still wish to put a gun to my head to ensure that you get what you think is right and proper, and that cannot be either. Food, at least until I have my own land and can produce most of my own.