Tax cheats and the debt dilemma

Americans have always commonly agreed that taxes are the price of a civilized society. Only relatively recently has the idea that “taxation is theft” been seriously suggested in the public discourse.

People who claim not to believe in government use that belief as justification to not pay taxes to support it. While tax protesters make up a small minority, few taxpayers probably see supporting government services as a patriotic duty.

Part of the reason for this is that many don’t believe they are getting their money’s worth. “Government waste” is practically a proverb, and people need little co...