You know what’s a rip-off? The fact that such “laws” as property taxes essentially mandate participation in commerce or the labor force — both tightly regulated by the government. In earlier times, people could live off the land, trade, or produce for themselves without having to sell their labor or report their every activity. Today, that’s nearly impossible. If you want to keep a roof over your head, you must earn money — and to earn money, you must enter the taxed economy. Whether by labor or capital, your participation isn’t optional. It’s enforced. More of personal productivity is now measurable in monetary terms. And because it’s measurable, it’s taxable. Governments tax human activity wherever currency is involved — through income taxes, capital gains taxes, sales taxes, and more. As more of life gets mediated through money, more of it gets taxed. Meanwhile, all this economic activity — forced or voluntary — bids up the nominal price of assets. This ...