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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!godot!bruce
From: bruce@godot.UUCP (Bruce Nemnich)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Theft, taxes, and Libertarianism
Message-ID: <363@godot.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 4-Nov-84 01:12:13 EST
Article-I.D.: godot.363
Posted: Sun Nov  4 01:12:13 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 6-Nov-84 03:36:23 EST
References: <1775@inmet.UUCP> <212@oliveb.UUCP>
Reply-To: bruce@godot.UUCP (Bruce Nemnich)
Organization: Thinking Machines, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 24
Summary: 

In article <212@oliveb.UUCP> jerry@oliveb.UUCP (Jerry Aguirre) writes:
>Most of the discussion on Libertarianism says that crimes should be tried
>as civil cases.  That is if I pollute the river that flows onto your
>property then you should sue me for damages.
>
>How does someone sueing me differ from the government taxing me?  In
>both cases money is being taken from me against my will.  Is it not
>theft because an individual instead of a government gets the money?
>
>				Jerry Aguirre @ Olivetti ATC

Are you asking this seriously?  I don't see a smiley face.

It is completely different.  In your scenario, you have devalued his
property, and you are being (assuming judgement is held against you)
asked to compensate him for the damage.  If you hadn't destroyed or
devalued what was not yours, neither he nor anyone else would have a
claim against you.

If the government taxes, you'll pay regardless of whether you did
anything wrong.
-- 
--Bruce Nemnich, Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge, MA
  ihnp4!godot!bruce, bjn@mit-mc.arpa ... soon to be bruce@godot.arpa!