| Notes | Book |
The majority of the people in the world are criminals. They favor taxation, which is a criminal act. They support police who are “tame” criminals whom they believe will protect them from the “wild” criminals. Of course, they end up having to protect themselves both from the cops, and the “wild' criminals. Criminals believe that it is better to steal something than work for it.
Whether or not you are a criminal yourself, you have the problem of getting along with the majority of people who are criminals. I believe honesty is the best policy, and living in a society of criminals is easier as an honest person, than as a criminal. Even criminals need people who know how to work.
Most of the members of the criminal majority are petty criminals. They are content to rob only when they are sure the victims are outnumbered and defenseless. Mostly, they don't steal from family members or close friends. Obviously, if everyone were a total predator who never did any work, the society would quickly dissolve in chaos. In reality, most societies eventually do dissolve in chaos, but the process can take as long as several hundred years. An accumulation of minor crimes over a large population and a long time will eventually add up to a major catastrophe.
Gradually, the level of coercion is the society rises. Taxes increase. Rules and regulations multiply. Government members become more and more adept at the game of demonize, imprison, and rob. Criminality spreads. Eventually, the social order breaks down.
The majority of the people in the world are criminals. Most of the societies in the world are based on criminal philosophies. We will only achieve stable and rational societies when the majority of people are not criminals, and when the societies are based on logical, non-criminal philosophies. Such societies have existed in the past, and will probably exist in the future, but that future may be some time in coming.
If you believe that taxes are criminal, should you pay? There are those who say they never give in to blackmail. Ironically, these tend to be the ones who think taxes are morally justified. I guess they would rather whitewash their own criminal behavior than accept the reality that they are giving in to terrorism. There are very few who pay any more than they have to, whether they believe taxes are morally justified or not. I believe resisting taxation is good, but I do pay. I also design my lifestyle so as to minimize the amount I owe. I vote against any tax for any reason. If everyone followed my example, the government would cease to exist.
Is it worth it to be honest in a criminal world? Many criminals have grown wealthy on their criminal enterprises? Many are even respected members of society. I read that an unusually high percentage of incoming members of congress were millionaires. I'm willing to bet that a much greater percentage of them will be millionaires when they leave or very shortly thereafter.
But a society of criminals is not viable. Criminals seek advantage for themselves no matter what the cost to everyone else. They have trouble cooperating. The Mafia is famous for murders, but governments are even worse. People are seldom killed by non-coercive organizations like churches or corporations.
The criminal lifestyle is opulent but risky. The criminal trades short-term gain for long-term pain. Working for a living involves much lower stress, lower risk, and a great deal more personal satisfaction. If you want the best for your children and your grandchildren, honesty really is the best policy. Eventually, tyrannosaurus.gov will crash and those who remain honest and know how to work will survive and prosper. Criminals and their families will suffer the consequences they deserve. This may not happen in your lifetime, but decisions you make now will affect how your descendants are positioned when it does happen.