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Taxation As A Severe Insult
Submitted by Tibor Machan via Acting-Man.com,
Who is Best Qualified to Decide how How Your Wealth Should be Used?
I have noted before that my fellow citizens and I are the best wealth redistributors one can find. We know quite well, with only rare exceptions, where the wealth we obtained should go – how we should spend or invest or save our earnings, etc.
But vast numbers of political thinkers and players disagree. They hold that our resources must be taken from us and they, not we, should be the ones who decide what to do with them. Why? Who are these folks to butt in and remove us from the driver’s seat and place themselves and their chosen few in there instead?
Spooner had the right idea. As Joseph Schumpeter remarks in Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy: “… the state has been living on a revenue which was being produced in the private sphere for private purposes and had to be deflected from these purposes by political force. The theory which construes taxes on the analogy of club dues or of the purchase of the services of, say, a doctor only proves how far removed this part of the social sciences is from scientific habits of mind.”
Consider how insulting it is! Why is the president of the country better qualified than we are to determine where our resources will do the most good? Why are members of Congress or local politicians? Who on earth do these folks think they are?
In the past it used to be thought that certain folks in society had special qualifications to allocate the wealth that has been produced as well as to make most of the important decisions in need of being made. Kings, lords, barons, and such knew better than the paeans – you and I – as to what our labors ought to fund. Ergo, taxation and other takings!
Government – enforced compassion
Don’t you see how nasty this is, how it impugns our capabilities to be prudent, careful, sensible, wise and so forth?
Advocates of government wealth redistribution blatantly insult the rest of us by denying us the good sense it takes to spend our wealth. Wealth redistribution means exactly that. Somehow we need to be coerced – or nudged or intimidated – into doing what these bullies have decided needs to be supported with our wealth.
Why? Who are these people?
In the past there was an excuse – by sheer birth certain folks, coming from certain families or classes or whatever – had the qualification to manage our wealth and indeed us as well.
That has certainly happened – from the moment the State has come into being (i.e., shortly after the violent conquest phase).
But that is sheer prejudice! They really have no more clue than you or I about where to spend the funds we have come by! Indeed, as the tragedy of the commons demonstrates, the more folks are involved in spreading the wealth, the less well the wealth is likely to be spent. Most will be wasted instead of well spent, even when the intention is to do the right thing with it.
We ought to regard wealth redistribution and it’s source, taxation, not only forced taking but a serious insult toward the citizenry and reject it wherever possible.
A well-worn ritual…
* * *
Addendum: Bernie Sanders Has Already Won
Senator Bernie Sanders is aiming to become the democratic party’s nominee for the presidency of the United States of America. He considers himself a democratic socialist. But his mission is actually superfluous.
In fact, Senator Sanders has already succeeded. America has for a long time been governed according to the principles of democratic socialism, as have many other Western countries.
This became clear to me as I was attempting to “go solar”. In order to install solar power at my home in Silverado, CA, I needed to submit the plan to the county planning commission. Their approval was necessary to go forward with the plan.
Solar permit application process for businesses – click to enlarge.
Any other substantial alteration of one’s property — the addition of a garage or new section — must be approved by such commissions. Indeed, throughout the country to undertake an installation such as I was contemplating, proprietors must obtain permission from various commissions, all of which are supposed to have been established by democratic means!
As I see it, this means that the country is being governed by the principles of democratic socialism.
There are now even “studies on the solar permitting process”, as absurd as this seems.
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Wow! This is timely. I truly hate government at all levels, maybe moreso at the local level.
Just got through with the New York State of Health.gov bullshit for the year.
They requested more information from me, I sent it to them, they sent me the EXACT SAME LETTER as before, erquesting more information.
I knew it was a mistake to even apply. Now they have information I didn't want them to have. Anyhow, I sent them a letter (I left out my name, address, etc. when reposting here):
Dear faceless bureaucrats (or computerized stupid system),
I have sent you more information than I would normally provide for anything, including credit cards, car loans, mortgage loans.
I sent you my statement of income for the past three months (which is what I thought you were requesting). I also notified you that I have no employees, therefore, no employment records. Today, I got the same notice I received on November 14, or thereabouts.
Thus, I do not have any idea what further information you may want, and, I am somewhat opposed to supplying any further information to a state agency which is opaque and vague and fraught with failure. The entirety of state-mandated health insurance is, to me, as a native-born US citizen, offensive.
Therefore, I cannot provide any additional information at this time. If I am deemed by you, the faceless bureaucrats of Albany, to be ineligible for “benefits” under your “plans” (which, by the way, are constantly changing and seldom to the benefit of participants), I will do what I have always done: stay in good health, avoid doctors, prescription medicine, state and federal agencies, and require no health care.
In other words, I’m done with this unnecessary nonsense, just like I was done with it last year when I tried to apply. If I have to pay a fine to the IRS because of your gross incompetence, I will forward the bill to you.
Happy Holidays,
Me.
https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/size-matters/ Size Matters . . .when it come to inflation...
Also a tax.
Inflation is not a 'tax', it's just plain theft. As is fiat currency.
It hit me when I sold some silver quarters a few years ago. I remember real silver coins, and I had a thought. I imagined if I had stored say, 1,000 dollars worth of silver quarters over the years...They'd have been worth thousands today, just on silver content. But if I'd stored 1,000 dollars worth of newer quarters, the ones they make out of recycled beer cans, they'd be worth their face value only, which today isn't much.
So what happened to all the purchasing power of my stored money?
It was STOLEN via fiat currency. Government kept the value, and gave me cheap coins instead. Like a handful of 'magic beans'...Inflation alone would have upped the value of real money as well, so I'd at least have been able to keep up. But with fiat I have nothing but their 'word', which isn't worth spit!
It was STOLEN via fiat currency.
No. It was stolen by counterfeiting. Counterfeiting (inflation) is governments principal funding mechanism. It's not about whether the trading obligaition is recorded on a piece of paper or on a piece of metal. It's about protection from counterfeiting.
Some taxation is necessary in an organized society.
That being said, what they are doing today goes way beyond their mandate. The federal government should be collecting what they need to run a military and the few agencies that are actually needed. All else should be funded at the regional or local levels.
And no taxes should be taken...they should ALL be billed directly to the taxpayer, with an itemized list of what is being funded with the money. When those taxpayers demand this or that, they should be presented with a bill for those services, and told exactly how much they will be expected to fork over in exchange. THEN they can decide whether they actually want it or not.
You want more law and order? More police? Want all those pot-smokers in jail? Good...it'll cost you an extra 1,500 dollars per year to set that up. Still want it? "Justice" doesn't come cheap, pal. Put your own money where your mouth is, or STFU. Maybe you'll decide it's better to focus on REAL crimes instead.
You want a brand-new stadium? Sure, it'll bring jobs, but it will also cost you another 500 dollars a year, because we won't be selling any creative 'bonds' to pass the costs off to some other slobs across the country who also can't afford a brand new stadium...Hey, here's a thought...How about having the TEAMS themselves pay for it if they want it so bad?
You NEED some taxation, but you shouldn't have to put up with this crap.
No we don't "need" taxation you ignoramus.
Wow, what an astute comment on my post!
Aside from the ad hominem, can you 'flesh out' your idea at all? Or was it just a reflexive kinda thing, some kind of sudden drive-by cerebral vomit-attack in response to my post?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Brillant! Who needs government. Let the private sector decide what roads to repair/build; what bridiges likewise; how much to fund the military; etc. Should work like a charm.
Yes, it should. Afterall, .gov has no vested interst in efficiently building roads or bridges, a private owner would. If you own a piece of land and build a road thru it in order to gain revenue (in the form of tolls or fees) it is in your best interest to not only build it and maintains it efficiently but to keep it maintained so your customers do not go down a different road.
double post
We ought to regard wealth redistribution and it’s source, taxation, not only forced taking but a serious insult toward the citizenry and reject it wherever possible.
Throughout the history of all governments, inflation is the dominant revenue source to the government ... not taxes.
Taxes don't even pay the interest claimed by bankers who have the privilege of counterfeiting the money.
But it is the counterfeiting (showing up as inflation) that is the real source of government income.
Install a properly managed Medium of Exchange (MOE) and poof ... "all" problems with government go away because their ability to counterfeit the money goes away. They wither on the vine.
The federal government should be collecting what they need to run a military
An armed and trained populace is far more economical and effective than any military. You can't occupy a country that has an armed and trained populace.
Why is the president of the country better qualified than we are to determine where our resources will do the most good?
Duh!
He knows exactly where to spend the money to generate the most votes.
Our income tax system is more about power / control than it is about revenue anyway.