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From: josh@topaz.ARPA (J Storrs Hall)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: More on justice
Message-ID: <319@topaz.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 18-Jan-85 02:26:21 EST
Article-I.D.: topaz.319
Posted: Fri Jan 18 02:26:21 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 21-Jan-85 02:36:07 EST
References: <283@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP> <1175@ut-ngp.UUCP> <671@bunker.UUCP>
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
Lines: 49


> > >> Taxation is theft....
> 
 
> Tax (n): 1a. A charge usually of money imposed by authority
> upon persons or property for public purposes.  ...
> 
> [key phrase is "by authority"]
> ...
> Theft (n): 1a. The act of stealing; specif, the felonious taking
> and removing of personal property with intent to deprive the
> rightful owner of it. ...
> 
> I think that "depriving the rightful owner" is synonomous with
> "without authority."
> 
> Therefore, taxation is not theft; ...

These definitions seem almost defensive of the status quo...  I think
they are bad definitions, ie, not very close to the commonly accepted
meaning of "taxation" and "theft".  For example, if there is graft
and the tax money goes into private hands, was it not tax in the first
place?  Or, theft is not necessarily a felony;  in NJ a felony is
a crime "exhibiting disregard for the value of human life", ie, violent
crime.

I claim that the normally accepted meaning for taxation is simply
"the government's taking your money"  and for theft "anyone's taking
something against your will".  All the counter-argument amounts to 
is "taxation isn't illegal so it isn't theft".  A matter of opinion,
I'd say.

--JoSH

Ironic PS:  Back to Webster's Collegiate:  
Extort, vt: to obtain from a person by force or undue or illegal 
power or ingenuity

(note the "or"s)

This causes "tax" and "extort" to agree quite nicely; the libertarians
should perhaps be saying: "Taxation is extortion."  Do you like that better?

Final note--same dictionary:

Extortion, n: the act of extorting esp. money or other property;
specif: the offense committed by an OFFICIAL engaging in such practice.

(emphasis mine)