(07-11-2019, 04:31 PM)Last42min Wrote: That's great, but it doesn't take away from the fact that the founders deemed representation to be important. They had no problem with the idea of government, as long as it was by consent of the governed. This didn't mean that everyone needed to agree, but that the government be small enough to best represent its constituents and one had the freedom to petition the government or move if they thought they were oppressed. I'm all for this. I just think it's "All taxation is theft" is the Republican version of "Hey, hey, ho, ho... *insert perceived injustice* has got to go.

Taxation can be theft under the right circumstances, but it can't be a blanket statement without also doing away with government itself OR having 100% participation and agreement. Any dissenter could prevent policies from being implemented if that's all it took. Alternatively, one could opt out of a service if they chose not to pay the tax, but that's super impractical. I'm sure Flsprtsgod wouldn't use roads or sidewalks or benefit from the protection of our military, police, or fire department, just to name a few. He'd be the freest person alive. Seriously, though, it's a form of disillusionment to think that life, at least at this stage in human history, would be better without government. There are places in the world were you could govern yourself, but you wouldn't want to live there.