Indeed. Perhaps she didn't mean any of it as a starting point for discussion, but I don't think it all that useful to trivialize either murder or theft.
But hiding behind it, there is a real discussion about the proper role and techniques of government. Yeah, there are nutty libertarians who equate taxation with theft, but those really aren't the people who are potentially persuadable; better to make a novel argument, rather than try to sound as nutty as the libertarian fringe. As a side matter, it isn't typically a conservative position (assuming that's what's meant by "con") to view taxation as theft. Complain that taxes are too high, sure, but that's not the same thing as saying they should be zero: In much the same way that I can say that teachers in the local district are probably overpaid (at least if you count the value of the benefits package) without saying that all teachers should be volunteers.
I am genuinely curious as to where Akiko draws the line between a genuine moral obligation to provide medical help and something that would merely be admirable.
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Date: 2011-02-09 10:26 pm (UTC)From:But hiding behind it, there is a real discussion about the proper role and techniques of government. Yeah, there are nutty libertarians who equate taxation with theft, but those really aren't the people who are potentially persuadable; better to make a novel argument, rather than try to sound as nutty as the libertarian fringe. As a side matter, it isn't typically a conservative position (assuming that's what's meant by "con") to view taxation as theft. Complain that taxes are too high, sure, but that's not the same thing as saying they should be zero: In much the same way that I can say that teachers in the local district are probably overpaid (at least if you count the value of the benefits package) without saying that all teachers should be volunteers.
I am genuinely curious as to where Akiko draws the line between a genuine moral obligation to provide medical help and something that would merely be admirable.