[Sherman Logan]

Rand would have called it the use of force to loot the productive work of others.

That's also called taxation. :)

Rand and her followers considered any such use of force to be illegitimate, and that is a defensible position, in theory.

Back here in the real world, reasonable people recognize that (some) taxation is needed by any people who wish to protect themselves against internal and external threats.

Which is not to say that any given level of taxation is reasonable or appropriate, only that sufficient taxation and internal cohesion is necessary if the society is to survive.

For an example of a society that committed suicide by insisting on its own "Golden Freedom," I refer you to the Poles. Their refusal to give up any of their freedoms ensure that they wound up losing them all.

[Sam Gamgee]

Sure. Rand argued for voluntary taxation, which I don't think would really work. I think the early founders had it right when they used modest tariffs (non-punitive) to raise revenue.

With the Polish, are you referring to the fact they insisted on a weak King, which made them vulnerable to being swallowed up by Germany, Austria and Russia?