Political Theory

Re: I like to pay taxes.

Matthew Graybosch — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:54:53 GMT

Inquisitor:
(Not) oddly enough, some people actually do hold this position.

I know. I blame public schooling for teaching people to be obedient and dependent.

Re: I like to pay taxes.

Inquisitor — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:15:42 GMT

(Not) oddly enough, some people actually do hold this position.

Re: I like to pay taxes.

ayrnieu — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 03:58:41 GMT

Matthew Graybosch:
I like to pay taxes.

Congratulations, you are a New Socialist Man! Yes, your payment of the income tax reveals that 'society' is consistently #1on your value scale -- supposing only that you work, and that you prefer the fruits of this income over leisure. Even if your stated goal in life is to eat as much McDonalds as you legally can, you by your voluntary actions buy your first dollars 'for society'. Take a deep breath in for the pride of your status! And release it as laughter towards those who foolishly mocked this socialist conception, made real by voluntary income taxation.

Re: I like to pay taxes.

asokoloski — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:59:38 GMT

I'll be a buzzkill and respond seriously to your satire.

You state that you are willing to pay to have someone else make your decisions and take responsibility. I think others may want the same. So assuming that there were no centralized government to rule over you, someone who had the bright idea to start a Total Life Management company could make a lot of money making all the hard decisions for you. And unlike the government, they would actually compete for your business, and maybe offer specialized programs. If you want some things to be decided for you and not others, you could only do that.

And if you didn't even want to have to decide what to make for dinner, they could do that for you too! You could sign over both control and responsibility, designating the company as your guardian.

With market anarchy, you only have to make one choice, which is which company and life-management program to choose. Instead, with the government, your life is probably either controlled to much (likely) or too little (ha!) or in the wrong ways. And while you can blame the government, they blame you right back instead of saying "You're right, you paid us to make these decisions and we made the wrong ones. We will accept the consequences" out of fear of competition.

Plus, the competiton would drive down prices. So you might get to keep a bit more money *in addition* to having your life managed for you! With market anarchy, there's something for everyone!

Re: I like to pay taxes.

Matthew Graybosch — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:50:10 GMT

Kakugo:
But sadly there are litterally millions out there who believe exactly the same things if not worse.

I know. I've met people like that. My parents are like that. They'd rather bare their throats, pay their taxes, and let the government do everything instead of getting involve in their community.

Kakugo:
Matthew after all took a deeply ethical approach: "I want the State to take care of me but I want to pay the bill".

I suppose you could describe it as an ethical approach, but I was trying to illustrate the corrosive effect that life in a welfare state has on one's self-reliance and benevolence towards others. Either I have to work on my satirical techniques, or I should just come right out and post questions instead of trying to get people to laugh and think.

Kakugo:
Millions believe it's a free lunch festival and that somebody else will foot the bill. Probably the "rich guys".

Little do they know that the rich use the tax code to keep most of their money, and leave the middle class to deal with the bill. Wesley Snipes gets away with a slap on the wrist, but suckers like you and me keep on sending protection money to the racketeers in DC.

Re: I like to pay taxes.

Kakugo — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:29:58 GMT

This is satyre, we all know it.

But sadly there are litterally millions out there who believe exactly the same things if not worse.

Matthew after all took a deeply ethical approach: "I want the State to take care of me but I want to pay the bill".

Millions believe it's a free lunch festival and that somebody else will foot the bill. Probably the "rich guys".

Re: I like to pay taxes.

Matthew Graybosch — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:30:07 GMT

Niccolò:
That'll be about $60,000

I don't gross that much per annum. Oh, well. I never claimed it was good satire.

Re: I like to pay taxes.

Matthew Graybosch — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:27:10 GMT

Fred Furash:
Being a lazy *** is a bad excuse for bringing on totalitarianism.

Which comes first, the laziness or the statism? Don't you think that many people, when faced with a government that constantly steals from them the ability to choose to do the right thing through taxes and regulations, eventually say "screw it" and decide to let the government deal with it?

Re: I like to pay taxes.

Matthew Graybosch — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:17:12 GMT

Mattes:
Please see the effeciency of the post office and DMV

If you want me to see things that don't exist, you'd better give me some good hallucinogens.

Re: I like to pay taxes.

Niccolò — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:16:42 GMT

Then pay family's taxes too.

That'll be about $60,000

Re: I like to pay taxes.

Solredime — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:11:54 GMT

Being a lazy *** is a bad excuse for bringing on totalitarianism. I'm sure your children will thank you when they grow up in a fascist regime with compulsory military duty and people being taken away in black vans during the night.

And yes, I know this is satire, but I'm just playing the same game :P

Re: I like to pay taxes.

Matt — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:50:17 GMT

haha I know this is satire. But wanted to respond to the "Why shouldn't I just let the government take care of everything? "

Please see the effeciency of the post office and DMV

I like to pay taxes.

Matthew Graybosch — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:01:03 GMT

I have a confession to make. I like to pay taxes. It's more convenient to just let the government take my money, instead of thinking for myself and taking care of my own business.

I like being able to ignore the less fortunate. After all, why should I talk to a bum and go to the trouble of deciding if I should help him or not when there are government-run programs that are supposed to help the poor?

I like being able to let somebody else raise my kids. Why should I bother to teach my kids when the government employs trained professionals who get paid to keep up with the latest research in educational theory and child development? Why should I bother trying to teach them the difference between right and wrong, when they'll be properly socialized at school?

I like being able to ignore the plight of somebody being victimized. After all, it's not my job to intervene if there's a crime in progress; the government has trained law enforcement officers who know how to handle such matters. Who am I to take the law into my own hands?

I like not having to make decisions more complicated than what to make for dinner. After all, it's hard to make decisions and live with the consequences if I make bad choices. I'm glad the government's there to bail me out if I screw up. And if things go to hell, I don't have to take responsibility. After all, I obey the law and pay my taxes. It's the government's fault if anything bad happens.

Really, why should I be responsible for my own life? Why should I be generous to others, or care about the community in which I live? Why shouldn't I just let the government take care of everything?