Before 1913, America funded itself primarily through tariffs, not income taxes. This distinction isn’t merely about revenue collection—it represents fundamentally different relationships between citizens and government. Income tax directly claims ownership over portions of your labor, while tariffs apply only to specific voluntary transactions. President Trump’s 2025 tariff policies reflect views he’s consistently held since appearing on Oprah Winfrey’s show in 1988 as a Democrat, highlighting how tariffs were traditionally supported by Democrats throughout much of American history. Our founders deliberately chose this taxation model to preserve liberty and limit government growth—principles worth reconsidering in today’s debates about taxation and freedom.
By Ryan Thompson, The Punk Rock Libertarian In our latest episode of Disruptarian Radio, I sat down with our brilliant Seattle-based political correspondent Alexandra to dissect what many libertarians have been cautiously celebrating: the first 100 days of Trump's return to office and Elon Musk's unprecedented role in government. The conversation revealed something that mainstream [...]
In what can only be described as a seismic shift in how the federal government operates, the first 100 days of Donald Trump's second term have rewritten the Washington playbook. With tech maverick Elon Musk at his side heading the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the administration has launched what supporters are calling [...]
