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I'm a libertarian, so I have systemic/ideological objections to taxes in general, but from a pragmatic point of view: taxes on voluntarily consumed luxuries are
by nazgulnarsil 17y ago
I'm a libertarian, so I have systemic/ideological objections to taxes in general, but from a pragmatic point of view: taxes on voluntarily consumed luxuries are better than involuntary taxes. especially if the consumers of those luxuries are imposing negative externalities via scialized medicine.
- patio11 17y agoI sympathize, but as a libertarian, you probably shouldn't need too much convincing that the state is going to act in the interest of its revenue streams against the interest of its citizens. For example, the state will tax tobacco on the one hand and massively subsidize it on the other. They'll declare gambling illegal so that if you want to gamble you'll "voluntarily" pay the hidden tax on lotteries (lotteries are essentially taxed at 50% relative to typical games in the casino, with the tax being terrible, terrible odds for players which are protected from market pressure by being a legally enforced monopoly on sin). In many places in the US the government literally is the one distributing the alcohol.
- nazgulnarsil 17y agolotteries aren't gambling. you will always lose for absolutely any reasonable definition of the word always.