While a large majority of people, maybe all, are against involuntary servitude in theory.  Few are against it in practice.  Slavery is clear cut.  However, how about involuntary servitude as only a percentage of slavery?  Supporting freedom is the opposite of slavery.  Many will say they’re for freedom, but will begin to make excuses as soon as the issue is reduced.  “To understand ourselves we must understand it; but to climb higher, we must them climb over and beyond it.”

Let’s reduce the issue a bit.  Suppose one human owns another.  The slave master tells the slave he is free.  He is free to work any job and can change jobs.  But there is a caveat, the freed slave must send back a portion of his income to the slave master.  Would he think he has been freed?  No, he would still consider himself a slave.  What if the income he sends back to the master is less than half?  He is still a slave, working for the master for less than half of the year.

If you are in support of freedom, you are in support of self-ownership.  As one can see, we don’t own ourselves, and we’re not free of involuntary servitude.  You only own yourself for part of the year.  You are working for the state for a large portion of the year.  More if inflation is factored in.  You are working part of the year for someone else.  In this case, unlike the reductio, you are working for a group of individuals.

The income tax is not new to anyone alive.  Likewise, the withholding is not new to most alive, but its newer than the income tax itself.  Withholding was introduced as an emergency measure. “Emergencies” are conjured up by the state to bypass the constitution.  Just like withholding, the measures can become permanent.   Liberty recedes during “emergencies.”  Some liberties come back, but never all of it—ratchet effect.

Withholding is a clear violation of the 5^th amendment.  You are being required to incriminate yourself.  Much like the measures today that have been conjured up to deal with a new “emergency.”  These new measures can become permanent.  As some freedom is gained back, giving the feeling of freedom, more will be lost.  Over time, we are less and less free.  Freedom is most in danger when the state is going to respond to an “emergency.”

Reference

Murray Rothbard; For a New Liberty