Taxation: Why are there so many thieves?

We all agree that it is wrong to point a gun at someone and take their money but the vast majority of Americans think it is acceptable to go the ballot box and vote for somebody to do that. What is it that makes theft among individuals morally wrong but theft by an elected person or his agent right? Answer: nothing. Taxation is theft and recognizing this fact should be a limiting factor on the growth of government.

Government does have a legitimate role and that is protecting our liberty. But that is less than 20% of what the federal government does (national defense) and an even lower percentage of what local governments do (police and courts). These functions could and should be funded voluntarily. If these basic principles could be understood we would have a much smaller government, a much more prosperous economy, and much less coercion in our society. In short, we would have more freedom.