Yeah, I don’t think the philanthropist argument is really strong.
Discussion
Compare an employment model where you are guaranteed to never be fired no matter what, to a model where your compensation entirely depends value-for-value on your performance.
Which produces the better performance and life for you and others?
If 100 years of compulsory taxes led to the current unsustainable financial situation and debt spiral, then of what use is it to double down on the same failed approach?
To be clear, you are supporting state violence against any citizen for simply disagreeing over financial management. Shoplifting under $1k is de facto legal in California, but if I withhold my property taxes you'll look the other way while I get evicted, imprisoned or shot by police.
The 'civilized society' in America is beholden to the people, not vice-versa.
I don’t think that is an analogous comparison though. If the government fucks up, they get voted out of office, so their incentive is to not fuck up. If the issue keeps getting worse among all political options, eventually riots and civil unrest happens until the fuckiness unfucks itself.
You know it’s possible there could be other causes to our current unstable financial situation besides tax collection, right? Corruption, terrible financial planning, terrible trade agreements, terrible regulation, deficit spending… it’s possible to collect tax and run a balanced budget. What evidence do you have that it is only taxes that are entirely the cause of the current financial situation?
And to be clear, no, I am not supporting state violence against citizens who disagree with financial management. I disagree with a lot of the things that the state does, and they are not committing violence against me.
I have yet to hear a compelling alternative to tax collection.