I didn't "dodge," I clarified, as I believe other readers would agree.

You would be astounded at how little "government" a society actually needs. Taxation through most of history was trivial, and primarily levied for special circumstances like wars or other temporary situations. We didn't even HAVE a permanent income tax until 1913, and somehow civilization progressed anyway.

Check this simplified history of world taxation. It is instructive to note that where amounts are given, few taxes exceeded 10 percent, and that only on the very wealthiest people. Study the historical taxes in the United States. Notice the percentages. Notice the levels of income they applied to. Do you have any idea how much $10,000 was in 1864? Can you begin to see the situation we are now in?

You try to make a case that taxation is essential for government or for organizing defense and services for a population. I could make a case that this is not necessarily true, but that's beside the real point.

The real point is that our current government is bloated beyond all reason, which I think even you would admit. A vast majority of its functions could be easily handled in the private sector. Of course, the government itself will tell you that there is no alternative, that only they can do the job, and without them pumping voter bribes...er...money down ratholes like propellant out of an F-1 turbopump, civilization would certainly fall. Why people buy this kind of self-serving rhetoric from the government and its congressional minions is beyond me. If Ronald McDonald told you that gruntburgers are good for your heart, would you buy that? Where is the healthy skepticism when it comes to how "essential" a government function is?

Finally, looking again at the history of taxation, the fact that we consider tax rates of up to 40 percent* as "normal" (or even "desirable") is a sign that we are seriously in need of a wakeup call.

BTW, we can crank on this further on "Offtopic," since we are drifting off the space financing subject.

*Not counting sales taxes, state taxes, sin taxes, property taxes, import and export taxes, etc. etc. bloody etc.