I was having a debate with a friend some time ago. It was about anarchy and the immorality of the state. It was a debate that I had with him 20 times, yes I am a masochist, I wanted to see if something could persuade him. And on this day, on this day I was so close to give him the opportunity to understand something essential.
We were in the tram, going to a movie or something. I said, you know taxation, it's theft, do you agree with that? He responded with the usual, I pay it voluntarily! He is a socialist and I thought, well in socialism the whole idea is that the workers are oppressed, and he accepted that. I said well if you make something as a worker, do you own it, the thing you made, or the money you get from selling it? yes. I followed, If you refused the services of the state, should you be able to not pay tax? NO. I think, hmmm... there must be a way to give him the opportunity to see the state as he sees a business owner, like a tyrant. Do you think that the owner of a businesses is entitled to tax you for services, to not be able to not pay for a service, and beg him to make the service better if he doesn't provide quality products? No, he said. I say, but that is government. He had a moment and I say after years that he was really thinking about what I said, something happened in his brain that has never happened until or since. You know the face! I make it all the time when I am surprised, and I find new information that it's valid. I said, you see, taxation is theft, it's force, you can give but you can't refuse. He then looked at me and said, I don't accept that. In a tone that you would see robots do, like a program can't be overwritten. He never said nothing about that day, it's like it didn't happened. One year has produced a 1 minute of real thinking in this man. He is now working at a university.