Libertas

John Locke (29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704)

In an earlier post I mentioned that I was going through the Cato University Home Study Course. I’m just finishing the second module on John Locke.

One of the readings from The Libertarian Reader was by Robert Nozick, “The Entitlement Theory of Justice” (pp. 181-96). It was a difficult reading, but near the end Nozick writes about property, labor, and taxes.

Perhaps I should go back a bit. John Locke in his Second Treatise on Government in writing about property and labor, clearly explains how the fruit of one’s labor is one’s property. With that in mind, Nozick explains that any tax on labor or property is theft. In fact, any tax on labor is forced labor!

Even a small percentage of ten percent means that for one tenth of your working time you’re working for the government. There’s no way out of it. You’re forced to do this. You can’t say no. You’re forced to work, give your time and your income to the government, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

This ought to enrage us, not just another increase in the percentage of taxes we pay, but the very idea of it!

How dare they think of taxing our income! How dare they take our time! How dare they take our property!

The idea of a property tax should infuriate us as well. If we have to pay property taxes, then we don’t really own our land. People on fixed incomes are especially hurt by this. Why are we putting up with this? The early Americans rebelled at far lower taxes that we can only dream about now. This too is theft.

Robert Nozick (November 16, 1938 – January 23, 2002)

All this I have read and thought about before, but then Nozick brings up a frightening point. If we are required to pay taxes in order to “help the poor,” then it must be obligatory. If there is no way to opt out of paying taxes and “receiving” governmental services, then why would the government allow you to even leave the country?

The government is already making it difficult to leave the country with your wealth. It even believes that after renouncing your citizenship you can be taxed for ten more years!

What government does this?!

The Communists didn’t allow their citizens to leave their “worker’s paradise,” and Nazi Germany allowed the Jews to leave before the war started, but only without their property.

Who made these laws? Who are the bastards that continue to vote to steal our property, increase our forced labor, and slowly imprison us?

The water is getting hotter and hotter, and the two parties are arguing over whether gas or electric is more efficient.

Recommended book:

The Libertarian Reader, edited by David Boaz