Why Taxation Is Not Theft

Just as all political debates inevitably end with someone making a Hitler comparison, all debates with libertarians sooner or later involve the claim that taxation is theft. It doesn’t matter whether you are discussing the welfare state, universal healthcare or a TV licence, at some point a libertarian will accuse the government of acting like the mafia and stealing people’s money (just the last day a commenter asked me to “stop promoting the use of force against me or my family“, by which he meant don’t regulate bitcoin). Of course we all know this argument is melodramatic hyperbole, but it would be useful to spell out why. Let me use an analogy that I think will best get the point … Continue reading “Why Taxation Is Not Theft”

March 22, 2014EconomicsCoercion, Consent, Economics, Force, Government, Libertarian, Nonsense, Politics, State, Taxation, taxes, Theft, Theory, Wrong Leave a comment

Atlas Shrugged Is A Ridiculous Book

Atlas Shrugged is a hugely popular book among American conservatives and libertarians who see it as a symbol of resistance to government tyranny. This is surprisingly because it is a horrendous book containing cardboard characters, over necessarily long speeches, absurd plot lines and at least 500 pages more than it needs. The greatest and most obvious flaw with the book is how terrible the characters are. They are all one dimensional cartoons that are either perfect in every way or horrible in every way. If a character agrees with Rand’s ideology, then they are smart, beautiful, strong, noble and rich. If a character disagrees with her ideology, Rand makes them fat, ugly, stupid, lazy and hysterical (most of the villains … Continue reading “Atlas Shrugged Is A Ridiculous Book”

March 14, 2014BooksAtlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand, Books, Criticism, Flaws, Greed, John Galt, Libertarian, Politics, Selfish, Terrible Leave a comment

The Genocide And Gun Control Myth

There are many arguments that can be used against gun control and while I disagree with them all, some are plausible. However, there is one that is so completely absurd that it hardly deserves the dignity of a rebuttal. This is the notion that genocides were preceded by gun control and that taking away people’s guns is the first step towards taking away their freedom and finally their lives. This argument is filled with so much paranoia and historical inaccuracies that it is a wonder that anyone takes it seriously. Yet American politics is so extreme that a fanatical argument like this can find widespread support among conservatives. For example here are a few sites that claim gun control leads … Continue reading “The Genocide And Gun Control Myth”

March 5, 2014PoliticsConservative, Dictators, Genocide, Government, Gun Control, Guns, Mass Murder, NRA, Politics Leave a comment