Is forced taxation necessary to raise revenue?

[Antonio the Sixth]

The short answer is "Yes".

The long answer is "Of f**king course you need taxes, unless you seriously think the 40-50% of GDP needed for the State to perform its most socially beneficial functions could all be raised through people's sheer goodwill. Look, I'm not the person to say people are selfish monsters, but come on."

[Antonio the Sixth]

Necessary for the state to get revenue? Yes. Moral? No

It has been my belief that taxation is theft.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Why is the "degree of force" such a major concern anyway? Being forced to do things we'd rather not do (or prevented from doing things we'd rather do) is a fundamental aspect of life in society. It's how we learn to respect our fellow citizens and put general interest above our own. Living under the illusion that we can get all of society's benefits without paying any of the costs, and without ever doing anything we don't want to do, is not "liberating" - I'd argue it's morally and intellectually degrading.