Back in the day there was a pirate causing all sorts of problems in the Aegean so Alexander the Great sent his admiral down to suppress the pirate with instructions to bring the pirate back to him in chains.

When the pirate was brought before Alexander, Alexande said to him, "Before I put you to death, do you have anything to say for yourself?"

The pirate said, "I send my armed retainers against the population and take part of their wealth and you call it piracy. Yet you said your armed retainers against the population, but you call it taxation."

Alexander thought about it and pardoned the man and made him his chief tax collector.