>Taxes are theft.
No shit! I thought I knew all about it but really had my eyes opened by "Against the Grain" by Scott. His thesis is that a surplus of grain is the root cause of government theft.
Like Calvera in the magnificent 7 realized he didn't have to do the raiding himself, he could appoint a tax collector to do it for him without bloodshed. Leave just enough for the peasants to survive to the next harvest, rinse, repeat.
All government is brigandry, and any taxes collected under coercion of force are evil.