I’ve seen a few posts here on Hexbear where people lament their taxes being used for things they don’t like. I get the sentiment, but I think it’s mistaken because it’s not a zero-sum equation where the state must have a monetary revenue equal to or greater than expenditure.
In a state with monetary sovereignty, the taxes citizens pay are not what enables the state to spend money and procure weapons etc. If US citizens paid a billion less in taxes, for example, it would make no difference for military spending.
It’s also a rhetorical mistake in that it plays into right wing framing that justifies austerity, and implies the idea that the wealthy who pay more in taxes are the ones who keep society running and support the poor.
I don’t like the idea of conceding the language entirely. It would be more accurate to talk about “public money”, as that is what it’s supposed to be in a democracy anyway.
When making this post I was mainly thinking about the way people on Hexbear talk about it on the site, rather than how we might go about it when persuading people IRL.