Posted on Nov 29, 2024
Coins worth over $1 million recovered from 1715 Spanish treasure shipwrecks in Florida
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Authorities have recovered 37 gold coins stolen from several 18th-century shipwrecks off the coast of Florida. The collection — part of a trove of over 100 coins initially discovered in 2015 — is valued at over $1 million.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), salvage operators contracted to investigate Spanish shipwrecks near Vero Beach, reported half the historic coins they found and illegally withheld information about the other half.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), salvage operators contracted to investigate Spanish shipwrecks near Vero Beach, reported half the historic coins they found and illegally withheld information about the other half.
Coins worth over $1 million recovered from 1715 Spanish treasure shipwrecks in Florida
Posted from livescience.com
Archaeology
Money
Crime
State of Florida
Spain
Posted 15 d ago
Responses: 5
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The phrase "All taxes are theft" is rooted in a philosophical and economic argument often associated with certain strands of libertarianism and anarcho-capitalism. Here's a breakdown of the reasoning behind this perspective:
1. **Property Rights**:
- Proponents argue that individuals have a natural right to the fruits of their labor. If the government forcibly takes a portion of this (through taxes), it's akin to theft because it violates personal property rights without consent.
2. **Non-Aggression Principle (NAP)**:
- This principle states that aggression, which includes theft, is inherently wrong. Taxation, according to this view, involves the state using coercion or force to extract money, which is considered an act of aggression against the individual.
3. **Consent**:
- The argument posits that taxation lacks voluntary consent; it's not a service one can opt out of. If you refuse to pay taxes, you face penalties, which is seen as non-consensual, similar to how theft is non-consensual.
4. **Service vs. Payment**:
- Critics of taxation argue that unlike a market transaction where payment is made for a service or product with mutual agreement, taxes fund services that individuals might not choose or might not want, thus making the payment involuntary.
5. **Efficiency and Morality**:
- Some argue that even if the state provides beneficial services, the method of funding (taxation) is morally questionable because it doesn't respect individual autonomy. They suggest alternatives like voluntary contributions or private sector solutions.
**Counterarguments**:
- **Social Contract**: Many argue that by living in a society, individuals implicitly agree to a social contract which includes paying taxes for collective benefits like defense, infrastructure, and social services.
- **Public Goods**: There are goods that the market might not efficiently provide (like national defense), where taxation is seen as a necessary mechanism to ensure these are available to all.
- **Redistribution**: Taxes can be viewed as a tool for reducing inequality, providing for those less fortunate, or correcting market failures.
- **Legitimacy of Government**: Governments are often seen as having legitimate authority to impose taxes, derived from democratic processes or historical governance structures.
In summary, while the "taxes are theft" argument highlights concerns about individual rights and autonomy, it's a perspective that faces significant opposition based on views about the role of government, social obligations, and the practical necessity of public funding. The debate is fundamentally about the balance between individual freedoms and collective responsibilities.
1. **Property Rights**:
- Proponents argue that individuals have a natural right to the fruits of their labor. If the government forcibly takes a portion of this (through taxes), it's akin to theft because it violates personal property rights without consent.
2. **Non-Aggression Principle (NAP)**:
- This principle states that aggression, which includes theft, is inherently wrong. Taxation, according to this view, involves the state using coercion or force to extract money, which is considered an act of aggression against the individual.
3. **Consent**:
- The argument posits that taxation lacks voluntary consent; it's not a service one can opt out of. If you refuse to pay taxes, you face penalties, which is seen as non-consensual, similar to how theft is non-consensual.
4. **Service vs. Payment**:
- Critics of taxation argue that unlike a market transaction where payment is made for a service or product with mutual agreement, taxes fund services that individuals might not choose or might not want, thus making the payment involuntary.
5. **Efficiency and Morality**:
- Some argue that even if the state provides beneficial services, the method of funding (taxation) is morally questionable because it doesn't respect individual autonomy. They suggest alternatives like voluntary contributions or private sector solutions.
**Counterarguments**:
- **Social Contract**: Many argue that by living in a society, individuals implicitly agree to a social contract which includes paying taxes for collective benefits like defense, infrastructure, and social services.
- **Public Goods**: There are goods that the market might not efficiently provide (like national defense), where taxation is seen as a necessary mechanism to ensure these are available to all.
- **Redistribution**: Taxes can be viewed as a tool for reducing inequality, providing for those less fortunate, or correcting market failures.
- **Legitimacy of Government**: Governments are often seen as having legitimate authority to impose taxes, derived from democratic processes or historical governance structures.
In summary, while the "taxes are theft" argument highlights concerns about individual rights and autonomy, it's a perspective that faces significant opposition based on views about the role of government, social obligations, and the practical necessity of public funding. The debate is fundamentally about the balance between individual freedoms and collective responsibilities.
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What Ever happened to Finders Keepers! So these guys found the wreck? Why isn't everything theirs? It's just not fair. The Freaking Government doesn't have any claim to that. This is Theft by Government yet Again! Of course I also believe that all Tax is Theft. Which it IS!
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SGT James Murphy
individuals have a natural right to the fruits of their labor. If the government forcibly takes a portion of this (through taxes), it's akin to theft because it violates personal property rights without consent.
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