If taxation without consent is robbery, the United States government has never had, has not now, and is never likely to have, a single honest dollar in its treasury. If taxation without consent is not robbery, then any band of robbers have only to declare themselves a government, and all their robberies are legalized.

Lysander Spooner, a 19th-century political theorist and abolitionist, is widely known for his strong critiques of government authority and the nature of taxation. This quote reflects his belief that taxation without consent amounts to robbery. Spooner argues that if people are forced to pay taxes without their voluntary agreement, then the government itself operates in the same way as criminals who take money through force or coercion. He questions the legitimacy of any government's right to extract funds from its citizens without their explicit consent.

Spooner further challenges the idea that governments are above the law. If taxation without consent is not considered robbery, then, according to Spooner, any group of criminals could simply declare themselves a government, and their robberies would be considered legal. This analogy highlights his radical view that authority and government should be subject to the same moral principles as any other entity or individual in society.

The quote is a direct criticism of the nature of state power, specifically challenging the legitimacy of state-sanctioned violence, whether in the form of taxation or other coercive means. Spooner uses this argument to emphasize the importance of individual liberty and consent, suggesting that without true voluntary agreement, any claim of governmental authority is inherently unjust and oppressive.