The problem with taxes

. . . is: they aren't voluntary.

The classic illustration of this is the trip to McDonald's. Go to McDonald's, tell them you want a Quarter Pounder instead of a Big Mac - or, heck, you've changed your mind and you want to go to Wendy's instead! - and see if anyone points a gun at your head.

Now, tell the IRS you don't want to pay your taxes and see what happens.

This, of course, is the difference between the free market and statism, something nicely illustrated by an editorial in today's The Oklahoman - though I'm not sure that's what the editorial's writer intended:

All taxpayers have something they'd like to opt out of — war, railroad subsidies, crop supports, space exploration, etc.

And:

Some folks would like to opt out of paying the MAPS 3 sales tax, but their own neighbors approved it.

Darn neighbors!

The Coburn-Lankford proposal on fuel taxes is appealing, but Washington isn't about to opt out of its desire to control more of our lives.

Of course, the proper response is not to simply say - as The Oklahoman seems to - that that's the way things are done so why even try to do anything about it? Here's the comment I posted:

The Oklahoman's editorial writers - in their own snarky way - are actually doing a good job of illustrating one of the fundamental problems with taxes: it forces people to pay for things they don't agree with or may even oppose. The solution to this is, of course, the free market, where people who want something can pay for it themselves, and those who don't want it don't have to be bothered.

The problem with this - as the editorial illustrates - is that taxes at every level: federal, state and local, mean power and government at all levels is addicted to it. Changing this means changing the culture of power. Yes, this includes voting the so-and-so's out until we finally get the right people. But it also means going much deeper than that and addressing the issue of altruism, which is what lies at the bottom of every excuse used by every politician every time they grab for more power.

After all, we are our brother's keeper and it's for our own good and the pie is only so big and there's only so much to go around and SOMEBODY'S GOT TO DO SOMETHING!

No.