The problem is, who gets to decide what is fair and reasonable?

The mafia has a word called 'pizzo' which is money paid to the mafia in the form of a forced transfer of money resulting from extortion. In return for paying the pizzo, businesses receive protection and can ask the mafia to resolve disputes.

The government has a word called 'tax' which is mandatory contributions levied on individuals or corporations by a government entity. In return you get protection in the form of police, roads, health care, schools and other services.

Taxation might be the best system we currently have.. but let's not pretend the mechanics of how it works aren't extortion. At the end of the day we're all just groups of humans driven by incentives. Some of the monkeys tell the other monkeys what to do for their own best interest.