Mark said this, back in '91:
Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, "Taxation is the price we pay for civilization." But isn't the opposite really the case? Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success.
Let's dump that "we" business. Every time you use force, you raise everybody's taxes. And even parents, when they use force, create children who will use and justify the use of force (and/or fraud).
I'm working on that.
Actually, what I came here to say was: the Skousen's casually mention, here and there, the fact that they teach a class on entrepreneurship at Sing Sing prison that has been extremely successful in reducing recidivism rates. Somebody's gotta do a movie on that! Molyneux? Masterson?
It kind of seems the Skousens aren't interested, so maybe it's up to an investigative journalist. Stossel?
9 comments:
I agree. But society does at times revert to self interest and not for the good of the individual.
In any type of society the individual tends to be forgotten and the group, with the most power, dictates what is a civil liberty and a crime against the society.
When I was younger and a new student to Political Science and International Relations I thought about a voluntary taxation where people gave money to the areas people wanted their money to go; but would that be a good idea?
The free thinking individualist in me abhors taxes and any government intrusion into my life.
The cynic in me believes that their are those who are so selfish and close minded that no matter how we prop up the society greed and power will always have to be in check; and taxation will be a nessacry evil until we become a more educated and compassionate society.
Cont.
I have thought about user fees in the place of taxation, I have thought of all kinds of ways to avoid government interference in our economic lives, as well as personal, yet society is filled with selfish wants, power hungry fools, and people who just want hand outs; until we find a way to forgo these negatives of human nature I believe we are stuck with some type of taxation.
I do believe a flat tax of 15% with at least 5% of that going to education will create a more economically feasible capitalistic reality and a society that will better reap benefits from the society.
The good thing is you make more money you get more money, the government gets more money too, and the most important criteria for an fee society which is an educated populace, assures that the society maintains it’s freedom.
I could go on and on if you have not noticed. Maybe this should have been an email. LOL
Have you had any luck with the haloscan conversion?
I did mean that "you" personally. Perhaps I should have said "I", but I am proposing a universal prescription which has a consequence in the real world that we live in now. Conversely, if you want taxes reduced, you have to eschew starting fights, stealing, lying and bullying first. I agree that we won't get them reduced to zero until we convince so many others to do the same that the personal cost of self-defense is no worse than learning martial arts as a hobby. Do yourself first, I'm sayin'.
Oh, no, I'll get to that tomorrow, I guess.
I am in agreement 100%, I think though that there are people (the paranoid and fearful) who say that we need a more powerful government to 'get control of intransigence' in society. I believe I can see the inklings of this starting back when our country was first formed.
The European imperialists I'll call them.
The important thing to remember is that, as members of a Democratic Republic, the taxes we pay are voluntary. A person's decision not to be involved in political action committees is their own problem.
Yea, I know, I'm a jerk.
I'm hurt that you'd try to trick me into thinking I can get away with evading taxes. Oh, you mean by lobbying. Yeah, it only took William Wilberforce 25 years to end slavery in Britain. Nobody's tried that with taxes.
The constitution is clear, the goverinment has a right to tax, also clear that we have the right to redress and to throw fits about it.
It does and we do.
I don't consider the Constitution to hold the same exalted position as the Declaration of Independence.
Post a Comment