4 ms·

I'm an immigrant. I consider it robbery to be intimidated by force into paying taxes.

by imjustsaying 10y ago

abduhl 10y ago
Not to be rude but why'd you immigrate then? It's not like taxes just started happening recently.
- smsm42 10y ago
  Maybe because in real world the choice is between fixed alternatives and not imaginary scenarios? Even if you think US taxes are way too high and immoral, it's not like you can live in a country like US but without taxes. You can live in a country much worse than the US with taxes, or in US with taxes, or in a country with failed government where there are not taxes but instead people might just kill you on the street. So you might make non-ideal choice, knowing it's not ideal, but it's best of what you have. Every country has its benefits and its flaws, and accepting it as it is doesn't mean one has to be blind to the flaws.
  - PhaseLockk 10y ago
    Maybe there's a correlation for a reason? Namely that functional governments which keep the peace and provide services to their citizens need income in order to operate.
    - smsm42 10y ago
      What US government is doing goes very far beyond "keeping the peace". Only the discretionary budget is 1.5 trillion dollars. Americans would be a really wild bunch if it required $1.5 trillion to "keep the peace".
- imjustsaying 10y ago
  I apologize for the confusion. I didn't immigrate to California. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_taxation#Individuals https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_taxation#Individ...
Aeolun 10y ago
You also consider it a right to drive on roads?
- laughfactory 10y ago
  Roads are the go-to argument for the value of taxes. But it's a dumb point to make because there are a ton of programs which we fund but do not benefit from. In fact, the vast majority of every dollar we pay in taxes does absolutely nothing to benefit us directly. No one argues against true infrastructure investments, it's all the other b.s. that we hate (immigrants and non-immigrants alike). Being a dick to someone for seeing what's wrong with the taxes here is awfully small of you.
  - WaxProlix 10y ago
    > Being a dick to someone for seeing How unabashedly self-centered! It's adorable.
M_Grey 10y ago
You were forced to immigrate to this country?! Otherwise... the "force" part here is more like, "I was forced to pay for the meal I decided to eat at the restaurant! How dare they!" Don't like it? Don't eat.
- imjustsaying 10y ago
  >You were forced to immigrate to this country?! I should clarify that I didn't immigrate to California, but was an immigrant to elsewhere. I apologize for the confusion.
  - M_Grey 10y ago
    I see, that make a lot more sense, sorry for the hostility.
sirtaj 10y ago
When I went to Australia I was surprised at the number of people from my ethnic background who had immigrated as adults and would complain bitterly about taxes. They loved the safety and security, general standard of education, healthcare, amenities, infrastructure, opportunities and their secondary effects (well-educated employees for their businesses, people who showed up to work instead of being home sick and so on). They just couldn't connect with the idea that taxes might be the reason that these were available. It would guess it's a pretty common thread among people who grew up unused to a properly functioning government.
- imjustsaying 10y ago
  >They just couldn't connect with the idea that taxes might be the reason that these were available. If taxes are the source of safety, security, general standard of education, healthcare, amenities, infrastructure, opportunities and their secondary effects, let's make taxes 100% of income, so that we can get more than twice as much of all that. Right?
  - sirtaj 10y ago
    Where have I suggested 100% taxation? What point are you making, please be clear.
    - imjustsaying 10y ago
      You didn't, I was mistaken.

I'm an immigrant. I consider it robbery to be intimidated by force into paying taxes.

abduhl 10y ago

Not to be rude but why'd you immigrate then? It's not like taxes just started happening recently.

smsm42 10y ago
Maybe because in real world the choice is between fixed alternatives and not imaginary scenarios? Even if you think US taxes are way too high and immoral, it's not like you can live in a country like US but without taxes. You can live in a country much worse than the US with taxes, or in US with taxes, or in a country with failed government where there are not taxes but instead people might just kill you on the street. So you might make non-ideal choice, knowing it's not ideal, but it's best of what you have. Every country has its benefits and its flaws, and accepting it as it is doesn't mean one has to be blind to the flaws.
- PhaseLockk 10y ago
  Maybe there's a correlation for a reason? Namely that functional governments which keep the peace and provide services to their citizens need income in order to operate.
  - smsm42 10y ago
    What US government is doing goes very far beyond "keeping the peace". Only the discretionary budget is 1.5 trillion dollars. Americans would be a really wild bunch if it required $1.5 trillion to "keep the peace".
imjustsaying 10y ago
I apologize for the confusion. I didn't immigrate to California. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_taxation#Individuals https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_taxation#Individ...

Aeolun 10y ago

You also consider it a right to drive on roads?

laughfactory 10y ago
Roads are the go-to argument for the value of taxes. But it's a dumb point to make because there are a ton of programs which we fund but do not benefit from. In fact, the vast majority of every dollar we pay in taxes does absolutely nothing to benefit us directly. No one argues against true infrastructure investments, it's all the other b.s. that we hate (immigrants and non-immigrants alike). Being a dick to someone for seeing what's wrong with the taxes here is awfully small of you.
- WaxProlix 10y ago
  > Being a dick to someone for seeing How unabashedly self-centered! It's adorable.

M_Grey 10y ago

You were forced to immigrate to this country?! Otherwise... the "force" part here is more like, "I was forced to pay for the meal I decided to eat at the restaurant! How dare they!" Don't like it? Don't eat.

imjustsaying 10y ago
>You were forced to immigrate to this country?! I should clarify that I didn't immigrate to California, but was an immigrant to elsewhere. I apologize for the confusion.
- M_Grey 10y ago
  I see, that make a lot more sense, sorry for the hostility.

sirtaj 10y ago

When I went to Australia I was surprised at the number of people from my ethnic background who had immigrated as adults and would complain bitterly about taxes. They loved the safety and security, general standard of education, healthcare, amenities, infrastructure, opportunities and their secondary effects (well-educated employees for their businesses, people who showed up to work instead of being home sick and so on). They just couldn't connect with the idea that taxes might be the reason that these were available. It would guess it's a pretty common thread among people who grew up unused to a properly functioning government.

imjustsaying 10y ago
>They just couldn't connect with the idea that taxes might be the reason that these were available. If taxes are the source of safety, security, general standard of education, healthcare, amenities, infrastructure, opportunities and their secondary effects, let's make taxes 100% of income, so that we can get more than twice as much of all that. Right?
- sirtaj 10y ago
  Where have I suggested 100% taxation? What point are you making, please be clear.
  - imjustsaying 10y ago
    You didn't, I was mistaken.