# Let's bury the "Taxation is theft" meme once and for all **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 1, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434 "2009-09-01T02:35:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/1 "2009-09-01T02:35:44Z")
Conservatives, do you know that awful feeling in the pit of your stomach, knowing that your hard earned tax dollars are going to help an irresponsible teen mother buy food for her child, or a poor person getting badly needed health care? Well guess what, liberals have felt that same feeling, knowing that parts of their paychecks are going towards funding evil, immoral, unprovoked wars of aggression that cause the deaths of thousands of innocents. Mercenaries and Defense Contractors, buying fancy cars and yachts, getting rich off of human misery. I’ve never seen an “opt out of wars of aggression” check box on my tax forms. You aren’t special. We live in a Democratic Republic, and our elected officials sometimes buy things with tax dollars that not all of us approve of. But it’s not theft. Not even if you really, really, REALLY hate it with every fiber of your being. The 16th Amendment passed 96 years ago. **Get over it**. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/2 "2009-09-01T02:42:34Z")
No! ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/3 "2009-09-01T02:45:31Z")
So…we take a portion of your earnings, and use that money to provide the infrastructure that allows you to earn that money in the first place. And…that’s theft? :dubious: _What have the Romans done for us anyway?_ :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/4 "2009-09-01T02:45:54Z")
You can’t take it with you! Well, then, I’m not going! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/5 "2009-09-01T02:45:59Z")
You know who else was a ‘Democratic Republic’? _East Germany_, that’s who! ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/6 "2009-09-01T02:50:32Z")
You forgot to use the phrase “AT GUNPOINT!” in the OP. Please attend to this in future pittings. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/7 "2009-09-01T03:12:34Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > You know who else was a ‘Democratic Republic’? > > _East Germany_, that’s who! C’mon, who in their right mind would call a country a ‘Republican Republic’? That would just be silly. ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/8 "2009-09-01T03:15:48Z")
At least you seem to understand that this shithole( The U.S.A.-Land of jebus that I love oh so fucking much) is a republic and not a democracy. BTW- I love my country, It’s my government that sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/9 "2009-09-01T03:31:51Z")
The OP makes a pretty good case that it is theft, for liberals as well as conservatives. And, while citing the 16th Amendment, why forget about Article 1, Section 8, which gave us the power to create the 16th Amendment, and to erase it? Why the rush to cut off debate? Does it hurt you in some way? Are you worried about losing the debate? And then to try to stop the debate by starting a thread about it, which I think would only encourage more debate? Anyway, there will always be libertarians to challenge the powers of the state. Get over it. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/10 "2009-09-01T03:41:56Z")
> [@Plan\_B](#): > > Anyway, there will always be libertarians to challenge the powers of the state. As long as there are pull-out beds in parents’ basements. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/11 "2009-09-01T03:45:27Z")
Oh, yeah, right! Almost forgot about the libertarians, in their multitudes… ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/12 "2009-09-01T03:54:13Z")
You know who else taxed the people? HITLER! ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/13 "2009-09-01T04:01:13Z")
Yeah! Screw you, Nekhludoff, ya fuckin’ anarchist! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/14 "2009-09-01T04:03:08Z")
> [@Plan\_B](#): > > Anyway, there will always be libertarians to challenge the powers of the state. Because they want to hand power over to the wealthy, the corporations, the churches, and organized crime. To any organized force that isn’t the government, and screwing the majority of the population in the process. Because the government is how the common people can protect themselves and express their will, and THAT is what libertarians truly hate. ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/15 "2009-09-01T04:08:43Z")
What is a Libertarian salad? Lettuce alone! ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/16 "2009-09-01T04:12:17Z")
[Quote=Plan B] Why the rush to cut off debate? Does it hurt you in some way? Are you worried about losing the debate? And then to try to stop the debate by starting a thread about it, which I think would only encourage more debate? [/Quote] I too was worried about losing the debate. But then I realized, I can just say, “I won”, whenever I want. I mean, it’s not like anyone gets a trophy or anything. I won. So there. I don’t know what y’all are going to do with the rest of your night, but I’m going to bed. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/17 "2009-09-01T08:09:30Z")
Why does the OP think only conservatives consider taxation theft? ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/18 "2009-09-01T08:35:52Z")
Matthew was a tax collector. Jesus luv’d him. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/19 "2009-09-01T09:00:47Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Why does the OP think only conservatives consider taxation theft? Because they are the only ones generally heard saying so. Perhaps there’s some left wingers somewhere who have that attitude; but it’s always the right wingers who we actually see. There’s clearly far more of them. ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434/20 "2009-09-01T09:09:07Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] Perhaps there’s some left wingers somewhere who have that attitude. [/QUOTE] Well, they would not specify _taxation_ as theft, but [property in general](http://thinkexist.com/quotation/property_is/156723.html). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-bury-the-taxation-is-theft-meme-once-and-for-all/508434.md?page=2)