"Taxation is just a sophisticated way of demanding money with menaces"

This quote by Terry Pratchett is an amusing way of taking a look at taxation. It indicates that tax is a method of requiring people to pay money, comparable to how a criminal may demand money with threats of violence. This is an exaggeration, obviously, as taxation is a legal and necessary part of any working society. Nevertheless, it does point to the fact that tax can be viewed as an undesirable concern, particularly when it is too expensive or unjustly dispersed. Pratchett's quote is a pointer that tax must be seen as a needed part of society, but that it should likewise be reasonable and sensible.