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RE: I made my public library buy libertarian books - Good use of tax money?
I've heard from people the world over it seems that having an opinion on how your tax dollars are used if you're a libertarian is betrayal of principle. This is utter nonsense. The fact you're taxed gives you a say. Now, if you should make use of government services that amount to the cost imposed on you by the state, that is no longer really the case, but as long as you're a net taxpayer, why not? Plus, it's for a good cause: liberty is never wrong, and if you can get the state to provide the implements for its own demise, what sweeter irony is there? :D
I agree with you, but the thing is that it also legitimizes taxation in some sense. That argument would be: "You used the government to provide you with something you wanted, so it wasn't theft."
And my response would be: "The theft has already occurred. You can't retroactively justify an action. Moreover, attempting to direct where those funds are used has no bearing on the morality of the initial trespass - the theft."
That sounds solid. Do you think the same principle applies to voting? As in: "The government is already here, so I should have a say in what it does."
Not really. Except in the case of a memorandum, there's no way to make the government do anything that it doesn't want to do. Politicians, while beholden to their constituencies on paper, are not restricted in what policies they pursue. While it's not immoral, it's certainly the least productive use of your time.