Governments used to steal vast expanses of land with little excuse. When it was more commonly understood that they were violent monopolies, they didn’t need to come up with elaborate excuses to make it seem like theft was not theft. Because the standard of the property illusion is pretty high these days, most governments have to come up with better reasons to steal land. Governments will say they are taking land in the interest of public safety, for public works, or for “development.” Theft justified by any of these excuses is still theft. It is particularly offensive when they don’t even fabricate some noble cause, but simply kick people off their land and hand it directly to special interests.
Sometimes governments will claim that stealing someone’s land isn’t theft, if they are adequately compensated. This is like a carjacker telling you that it’s fine to steal your car if you get to keep the air freshener. Being involuntarily removed from one’s land makes it theft. The only “adequate compensation” that makes it not theft is whatever it takes to persuade a person give up their property and leave it voluntarily.
Property taxes are based on the idea that we must pay for the privilege of living in a particular area and a tax on ownership is a reasonable price to pay for government services. You are really paying a ransom to keep your property, assuming you actually own it. If you do not pay your property taxes, government will eventually kick you off your land. If you believe governments own all the land, then the price of your property is for a usage license and your property taxes are rental fees.
To governments, property is merely a matter of temporary control. They can steal whatever they want, as long as they have a good enough excuse for the enforcers to carry out the theft and keep people from revolting. If your government says you can own property and maintain control of it, but only if you pay property taxes, you are a renter, not an owner. Governments get away with these rackets because enough people still believe they somehow represent “the will of the people,” as opposed to their sponsors.
Chapter 5 Section IV From FREEDOM! by Adam Kokesh
I am the author of FREEDOM!, a book endorsed (I mean banned) by the US Department of “Justice.” You can get a copy here. I’m running for Not-President in 2020 on the platform of the peaceful, orderly, and responsible dissolution of the United States federal government. You can find out more here. I am currently on my #TaxationIsTheft tour! You can find an event near you here. Whoever has the top comment on this post after 24 hours can claim a free signed copy of FREEDOM! by sending me a message with their address.
Great post.
I've always found it amusing how property taxes never go down, always up.
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If only taxes were the only way in which they steal, or if only "property" is the only thing with which they deceive us. But the reality is that this is just the top of the iceberg.
In my life I have learned that in the State, in government, and in politics, nothing, absolutely nothing, is what they tell you what it is.
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I agree totally with you @vieira people are struggling now to come up with their tax dollars for the next installment and it usually is accomplished. What most don't realize that even with your taxes paid those sitting in their "perceived" seats of power are getting ready to pull the rug out from under them in many other ways. I could list many ways they are doing it, but will just give this as an example:
Since Agenda 21 (now 2030) is moving steadily towards the ultimate goal of having rural americans relocated to the big city models it is imperative that local communities begin having talks and raising awareness. We here in North Idaho and Montana have been watching the invasion of this Agenda move steadily toward us for years. @adamkokesh here is a shining example of how their "words" do the best to portray filling a need for the dwellers of this land:
http://www.thedailyherb.com/telling-on-themselves-rural-cleansing-in-north-idaho-and-montana/
Many roads into the forest lands have been blocked with iron gates. Old time family miners are finding roads actually blasted out to prevent them working their lawful claims. Even the maps are being redone to block the knowledge of old roads and trails that allowed for recreational use, wild fire fighting ability and simple sightseeing. This, I could go on about for days, but the BLM and USFS along with their cohorts have all but left the forest lands to ruin. Especially the no access for firefighting crews or equipment when needed, seems to be a growing problem.
There again, the problems should be fixed at the local and state levels. If we get the federal government out of our communities the individual States should be competent enough to figure out a solution so they can manage their own.
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Exactly! Have you read my book yet?
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No, I just discovered it, I'll download it to see how it is. Greetings.
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My vote has become worthless, I have to recharge. tip!
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When people realize that centralization of economy and destruction of property literally fulfils the most destructive planks of communism.
What does it take to get people to rebel today? I guess, brainwashing them with mainstream media? :/
Great piece as per usual!
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Thank you brother!
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I just call it rent and that is being charitable. You don't own land unless you are a sovereign.
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So does the government own it?
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I would say that nobody really "owns" land. We belong to the land, not that the land should belong to us. But there are probably those few out there who have managed to invert nature.
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Beep! Beep! This humvee will be patrolling by and assisting new veterans, retirees, and military members here on Steem. @shadow3scalpel will help by upvoting posts from a list of members maintained by @chairborne and responding to any questions replied to this comment.
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<3
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You are helping people who work for governments? Geez I hope you are helping them change their perspectives.
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Most of the vets are retired. Take a look at the list of vet blogs here and you'll see their opinions on governments and etc drastically differ from one another. The only thing anyone has in common is that they put on a uniform and served at some point. You'll also notice that the first person you resteemed is a veteran.
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I am married to a veteran. My comment was an oversimplification.
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I would be willing to argue that most people who join the military don't do it for love of politics or their government.
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I know. I am married to a veteran and if motherhood had not been my career choice, armed forces was at the top of my plan b list. I have since learmed that military training is abusive and harmful, with long lasting negative effects. Also I am convinced that military deployment is used as a tool to keep intelligent, able bodied men far away from their homes and families to prevent them from dealing with our domestic enemies which are a much more immediate threat to said families than people overseas.
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Hi @adamkokesh! @fishyculture is sending you 0.1 SBD tip and @tipU upvote
!
@tipU - send tips by writing tip! in the comment, get share of the service profit :)
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Hi this is a good post i resteem it :)
See ya on steemit
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Thank you!
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You mention "paying for the privilege of living in a certain area" - well, there's a good case property taxes are being used to hold school segregation in place. Shameless plug here, I just wrote a post about it, and I think your viewers would be interested. (Hope you don't mind.) https://steemit.com/property-taxes/@redbluetalk/school-bonds-are-failing-all-of-us
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One of the best descriptions of a situation understood by few. Excellently articulated @adamkokesh. Upvoted and resteemed.
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I actually wrote a small fiction piece revolving around this in particular. Ever since I saw the state for what it actually was - a bunch of men and women asserting a monopoly over a territory and enforcing it with violence - I've realized that there is no such thing as owning a house. We're a nation of renters. Perhaps more than anything else the state does, the fact that it violently prevents people from justly appropriating property is the worst.
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Yep. State and national "parks" giant swaths of land completely off limits to only 1 species. Puke.
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So do you have a problem with state parks, or just parks in general? It's a little difficult to gauge your opinion from your comment.
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I have a problem with a violent, covetous and frankly evil fictional entity of any kind "owning" land for the purpose of preventing human beings from sustainably living in it.
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So just state parks, then.
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https://steemit.com/cryptocurrency/@xsid/cryptocurrency-the-end-of-income-tax
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I am getting more and more into these types of subjects. Interested here and yes it is theft IMO.
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I sure appreciate your work, Adam! tip!
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To have a property need money...when we had the property... need money to pay taxes..If we don't pay the tax...our property will be repossessed...scary
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