To take it even farther, even moderate levels of taxation is nothing but a racket legitimized by accepted authority.
To use the gang rule analogy, what the government does is not strongly unlike what organized crime does. There may actually be benefits to “protection”, yes, but you really aren’t offered much of an option, and organized crime would love it if their racket were legitimized by political authority. The social benefits of the tax revenue are rarely efficiently spent, and those benefits are really more of an excuse to justify collecting those taxes more than having a true purpose.
Look at how many times we pass massive infrastructure bills, and they always keep coming out with studies that indicate our infrastructure is aging and falling apart more and more.
Other than being charged for license tag to drive on the roads, almost all forms of taxes are mandatory. You can’t opt out of using public schools and not having to pay those taxes. You don’t own property. Land deeds are in name only, and if (rent) property taxes aren’t paid, you will be foreclosed on, regardless whether you owe anything to a lender.
It’s all a fraud, but because everyone conforms, it’s legitimate.
So true. What we have come to is a takeover of the federal government by highly organized criminals, in it for their cut of the tax tribute offered up by the citizens. The criminals seem to get their cut by arranging kickbacks of foreign aid.