[innguest]

Why is the criterion importance?

How about, governments shouldn't require protection money from its citizens? The way it used to be before 1913.

[rmc]

There were taxes before 1913

[johndevor]

Not really though. Microscopic compared to today.

[return0]

Then undoubtedly they correlated with better life standards by a large margin.

[johndevor]

Are you being sarcastic? Because that statement is not an argument at all.

[ameister14]

The way it used to be...in the United States, as regards solely taxes on income in peacetime?

[mikeash]

I was unaware that taxes were such a recent invention. Clearly I've been misinformed about history. What other insights can you provide?