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I just don’t understand

When I was at a friend’s apartment for a Christmas party, the subject of paying taxes came up (it’s a long story, it was during a game, not a political discussion, so only I, with my obsession with libertarianism and politics, probably read anything into it). This girl who is 23 or 24, just the sweetest, nicest girl you could imagine, said something like, Paying taxes isn’t bad, that’s a good thing, it’s necessary. Paying your taxes is good. (She might have added the word “duty,” I’m not sure. She would have if she had thought of it.)

Now, this is one example of where Anthony Gregory is right on: this level of statolatry is absolutely indoctrinated. Who do you know who actually has any positive thoughts or feelings about paying taxes? Nobody! Everyone thinks they pay too much, except people on welfare. They might even wish they could just pay nothing and still get everything they currently get out of government, while being fully aware, of course, of the hypocrisy that entails, which is okay to most people because because they all feel the same because everyone hates taxes.

Or, almost everyone. Or, at least, so I thought. See, I can’t relate to thought processes like this in any way. It is so clear that taxation is theft, plain and simple, especially income taxes, that I hardly consider that a point of debate or proselytization. If it had been a political discussion, I might have shrugged off my extreme aversion to debating politics with liberals and neocons—okay, most people—and asked, “First, what is it you want us to pay taxes for? Tell me what I get and perhaps I’ll buy it.”

Neither I nor anyone addressed her comment directly because, like I said, it was a side-comment during a game and was not part of a political discussion.

However, two other people had a brief exchange right after that about how they both wished they could specify exactly what services their tax money would be spent on.

This was a much more encouraging thought about taxes! I thought, That’s one step from being anarcho-capitalism! If you accept the premise that you should be able to allocate your forcibly extracted money as you please, it isn’t far to reason that you should be able to decide how much is taken from you! Down to and including zero dollars! Which is the main crux of the very definition of non-monopolistic governance!

And, see, the reason people don’t see the immorality of taxes, and could never imagine suggesting their elimination, is because they are brainwashed to believe a democratic system of mass theft is good and necessary for civil society to function—that your parents, teachers, police officers, and the Ten Commandments all really meant stealing is wrong unless you have a majority vote in a legislature.

I also believe that young people, especially females, are very afraid of saying anything that can be construed as offensive, insensitive, or inappropriate about society or, especially, the State. They see it like using the Lord’s name as a swear word (which is not and never has been “taking the Lord’s name in vain”.) Except, seeing as how most people I know do that more than once in a while, criticizing the nature or existence of the State is even worse than crying, “Jesus Christ!” or, “G**dammit!”

Maybe I should qualify that by saying they are afraid to criticize any non-”conservative” aspect of government, such as income redistribution, high taxes, social programs, etc., because they are unanimous in their outspoken disdain for the Bush regime and, indeed, any Republican. I am not equally outspoken because I don’t want to be associated with their socialist-feminist-environmentalist-welfare-state ideology in any way.

I imagine that if I ever brought up one small income-tax reform that I support, the elimination of the withholding of taxes and a return to the pay-all-your-tax-at-once-in-April policy, then the type of people I associate with would not be very amenable to that idea at all. Their only good argument for withholding is probably that it’s more convenient to the taxpayers. I haven’t heard any other good arguments. From taxpayers. The reason politicians support withholding income taxes, which is the reason I loathe it, and the reason my friends wouldn’t like the idea of eliminating the withholding policy, is: because it results in the government getting more tax money.

My justification for returning to a method in which everyone writes a check for their entire yearly income tax payment all at one, which is deducted from your bank account all at once—the way it was before their idol Franklin Roosevelt implemented withholding so as to fund the war effort more quickly—is because if we all had to do that, we would tolerate much less income tax. There would have been a tax revolt by now if people really considered how much they’re paying and how little they’re getting! And if I said this is why I wish we had to write one big, fat check every April—so that the government would (eventually) raise fewer tax dollars—my friends and acquaintances would recoil at that idea because to suggest that the State should get less money to spend on caring for us is…well, it’s downright heartless.

I considered what could have motivated my two other friends to advocate individually specifying the allocation of your income taxes. The most obvious answer is, of course, their aversion to spending money on the military and Bush’s destructive wars. Thomas Jefferson said, “To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” They abhor the idea that money taken from their paychecks goes to pay for a murderous and oppressive endeavor they fiercely oppose. I wonder how far they would carry the principle that no one should be forced to pay for something they morally oppose. Eliminate federal funding of abortions? Not bloody likely. Let people opt out of Social Security? Fat chance. Let people specify that none of their tax money should go to any part of the IRS? Don’t bet on it. (Where do you think I woud say this line of reasoning ultimately leads? If your guess starts with “a” and ends with “narcho-capitalism”, good job!)

Oh, by the way, I should add that I only advocate the non-withholding policy if the permanent abolition of income taxes is not an option. Which it obviously should be. But until it is, I wish they would eliminate the withholding of income taxes.