I'm interested in Kossack opinions about our progressive tax system.
I wrote a post over at my blog in defense of 'Robin Hood Government'. The crux of my argument is this:
"It's a messy system we have, and it's a system that will always have victims. We should try to limit the amount of victimization that occurs, but if there has to be some victimization, liberals--like me--are of a mind that it's better to take more from people who have more to give than from people who have less (or nothing) to give. The most educated and wealthy among us voted for Obama more often than not in the last election, so we can take that as at least a tacit endorsement of this kind of redistribution. Even if this group didn't vote the way it did, pluralists and democrats (big D) should support this model. If we are truly going to give everyone in this country a fair shot, we have a lot of inequality to make up for. A true meritocracy would make sure that everyone in the game is playing by the same rules, and that competition--a guiding principle of our nation--would be fair."
The counter arguments thus far have been the following:
1) taxes are not taken, they are owed as part of an unspoken social contract.
2) yes, taxes are taken, therefore they are theft, therefore it is immoral to take them. Taxation is tyranny.
A person who really doesn't want to pay taxes in our country has no recourse: they have to pay taxes, or are penalized. That's why I feel obligated to accept that they are taken, if not given when asked for. We do have representation, but a serious anarcho-capitalist will never have enough support to influence the vote, and will always be able to view themselves as an 'opressed minority'. So I've accepted that taxes are taken--sometimes against the will of the taxed--but have decided that a progressive tax structure is for the greater good.
So, I thought I'd ask the kossack community of their opinion. What is your rationale for a progressive taxation system? Am I looking at wrong? Are the points my opponents bring up in points 1 and 2 right or wrong, and if so, how?
I'm interested in getting a little personal consciousness raising done on this issue. What do you think?
10:36 AM PT: **UPDATE**
I'm seeing a lot of great responses on why taxation is necessary and why taxation isn't theft, but haven't seen many defenses of progressive taxation. Anybody got anything?