I'd disagree with "Taxes don't directly affect the economy at all, except that it gives the government more money to lend to banks, to offer to states, etc." on the basis that if you pay more taxes, you tend to have less money to spend on other stuff, and the money you spend on other stuff tends to create jobs and affect the economy.

Of course, you can argue that the benefit of government spending from taxes cancels out this effect, but I don't think it's fair to say that taxes don't directly affect the economy at all, unless you're going to argue that this effect is indirect, which doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of what you've said.