Taxation Is Theft

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About

Taxation is Theft refers to a phrase meme parodying libertarian and anarchist philosophies, especially anarcho-capitalism.

Origin

The idea that taxation is theft originated in Murray Rothbard's The Ethics of Liberty in 1982. Rothbard compared government tax collectors to thieves demanding to know what valuables one may have in one's house.

"Just as no one is morally required to answer a robber truthfully when he asks if there are any valuables in one's house, so no one can be morally required to answer truthfully similar questions asked by the State, e.g., when filling out income tax returns."

Spread

While it is unclear where exactly the philosophy became a meme, one of the earliest examples comes from /r/libertarian^[4] in a comment, shown below.

A page devoted to Taxation is Theft Memes appeared on Facebook^[3] on March 14th. The Free Thought Project^[2] wrote one of the first articles on the phenomenon on March 26th, 2016.

On March 28th, 2016, Tumblr user shittyopinionsofficial posted an image (below) combining it with Hey girls, did you know…" It obtained nearly 3,000 notes in about 5 months.

Girls. didiyou know That uhnm TAKATIONw TEIEFT

Various Examples

wife: go see if the baby sleeping *walks into baby's room* baby: taxation is legalized theft me: no babe she woke af

THE UNITED SIMIESC THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE Taxation is Theft 7 G 34672886 F 7

Whisper to me! Whisper what? I don't know, anything Taxation is theft

SAYS HERE WE LEFT ENGLAND BECAUSE TAXATION IS THEFT

HOW STATISTS START ACTING WHEN YOU SAY TAXATION IS THEFT

Search Interest

External References

^[1] MisesInstitute – The Ethics of Liberty, Chapter 24

^[2] The Free Thought Project – One Group’s Viral Meme Campaign Taught the Internet that “Taxation is Theft”

^[3] Facebook – Taxation is Theft memes

^[4] /r/libertarian – Cuddling

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Taxation Is Theft Uploaded by GalaxyDefender3	Taxation Is Theft Uploaded by Bilbo Swaggins	Taxation Is Theft Uploaded by Brad	Taxation Is Theft Uploaded by FLimsy CLaim
Taxation Is Theft Uploaded by Andou Jurai	Taxation Is Theft Uploaded by Unalaq	Taxation Is Theft Uploaded by Mom Rivers	Taxation Is Theft Uploaded by Mom Rivers
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Top Comments

ImperatorZor

Aug 13, 2016 at 11:56PM EDT

The Anarcho-Capitalist expresses his opinion that Taxation is theft on the internet. The internet goes back to a DARPA project paid for with taxpayer money.

The Anarcho-Capitalist expresses his opinion that Taxation is theft using a computer. Computers go back to ENIAC, the first electronic general purpose computer made in 1945. Further R&D programs pushed along computer technology. All of which paid for with taxpayer money.

The Anarcho-Capitalist expresses his opinion that Taxation is theft using written language. Written language was contrived by Mesopotamian bureaucrats some 5,500 years ago to keep track of tax income and said income paid to workers and artisans on various projects. Among them the maintenance and expansion of the irrigation systems which made the Mesopotamian city states possible.

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