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Politics : View from the Center and Left
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To: JohnM who wrote (6303)12/10/2005 3:55:48 PM
From: TimF  Read Replies (1) of 542169
 
As you may know, however, there is a principled position in political theory which says, as Tim does, that only a "watchman" state can be considered legitimate. Tim might have been defending that. Thus, my response was intended to draw him out in that direction as well.

I would say that a minarchist "watchman" state would certainly extort much less and only extort where the requirement and justification for it is strongest. You wouldn't see me complaining about the scope of the government or the tax burden. I probably would not go around calling it extortion, but it still would be. I don't think it could avoid taxation. It would still be a government taking money by force or threat of force. Unless you can get the force out of it I don't think that it can be said that it is in no way extortion.

Tim
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