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FrankChodorovarguesthattaxationisanactofcoercionandifpushedtoitslogicallimitswillresultinSocialism(1946)OnlineLibraryofLiberty

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FrankChodorovarguesthattaxationisanact
ofcoercionandifpushedtoitslogicallimits
willresultinSocialism(1946)
FrankChodorovarguesthattaxationisanactofcoercion
whichviolatesindividualrightstopropertyand,ifpushedto
itslogicallimits,willresultintheownershipofallproduction
andpropertyinthehandsofthestate,i.e.Socialism:

Wheneveritdeclaresitselfonthesubjectoftaxation,
socialismshowshowwellitknowsitsstuff.ThePhariseesof
thatorderhavepointedouthowthebourgeoissystemof
forcedduesandchargesastheEncyclopediaBritannica
describestaxescanwellbringabouttheabolitionofprivate
property.Itisadeviceforbothsiphoningcapitaloutof
citizens'pocketsintothecoffersofthestateanddiscouraging
theaccumulationofcapital.Inthattheyareeminently
correct,eventhough,characteristically,theyavoid
mentioningthegreaterpeculationofwages.But,sincethe
endjustifiesthemeans,theyarestrongfortaxes,thebigger
thebetter.
Thescribesofwhatwecallcapitalism,neitherasknowing

From:FugitiveEssays:
SelectedWritingsofFrank
Chodorov(FrankChodorov)

norashonest,havegoneaboutcamouflagingtaxationwith

By:FrankChodorov

theories,canons,sanctimoniousjustifications,and,ofcourse,

Theme:Taxation

alibraryoflaws,untilitsmaskhasbecomeitstrueface.
Whenyouunmaskit,bymeansofreasonandhistorical

Seethisquoteincontext.

investigation,youseethattaxationishighwaymanrymade
respectablebycustom,thieverymademoralbylawthere
isntadecentthingtobesaidforit,astoorigin,principle,or
itseffectsonthesocialorder.Mansadjustmenttothis
iniquityhaspermitteditsforcetogainmomentumlikean
unopposedcrimewaveandtheresultingsocialdevastation
iswhatthesocialistshavelongpredictedandprayedfor.
Thefactoftaxationwasknownlongbeforeitwassonamed.
Ifthethingwasreferredtobyanyparticularword,itmust
havebeensomeprehistoriccounterpartofswag.TheDanes
whomadeperiodiccollectingvisitstotheirneighborscalled
Dannegeld.However,anameandatheoryareunimportant
totheunsophisticatedbrigandwhotakeswhathelikesboth
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FrankChodorovarguesthattaxationisanactofcoercionandifpushedtoitslogicallimitswillresultinSocialism(1946)OnlineLibraryofLiberty

becomeimportantonlyafterthebrowbeatenvictimlearns
howtobuypeaceataprice,andthebrigandfindsitniceto
puthimselfonaparwiththemerchant.Thepathof
skulduggeryismadeeasierwithacoatingofmorality,which
isaptlyappliedtoanestablishedcustom,bythelawyerand
theprofessorofeconomics.Andso,thebusinessoftaking
whatdoesnotbelongtoyouhasbeenwellobfuscatedbya
philosophyoftaxation.
Allthisargument,however,isaconcessiontothe
obfuscationwithwhichcustom,law,andsophistry
havecoveredupthetruecharacteroftaxation.
Therecannotbeagoodtax,orajustonetherefore,
everytaxrestsitscaseonpoliticalpower.Andthe
powerbehindeverylevyfattensonitscollections,
whilethepoweroftheindividualiscommensurately
weakened.Theultimateoftheprogressiveprocess
oftaxationistheabsorptionofallproductionbythe
statewhichistheidealofsocialism.

AboutthisQuotation:
Fewpeoplearewillingtocallaspadeaspade.FrankChodorovhoweverisoneofthose
peoplewhenhecallstaxationaformofrobberywhichhasbeenobfuscatedbyintellectuals
andpoliticiansforcenturies.WritingattheendofWorldWarTwo,whenthestatehad
grownprodigiouslyandtaxationanddebtlevelshadrisenaccordingly,Chodorovthoughthe
couldseeapatterninallthis:thesteadyincreaseintaxationwouldultimatelyleadto
socialism.OnemightcomparethiswithFriedrichHayeksTheRoadtoSerfdomwrittenin
1944whichcomestoasimilarconclusion.
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