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> suck it up. Taxes have a point. Your comment feels completely out of line. This comment thread is talking about mental models about money. The GP comment is

> suck it up. Taxes have a point. Your comment feels completely out of line. This comment thread is talking about mental models about money. The GP comment isn't complaining about taxes. Most likely, the observation about taxes is to say that earning an additional $1000 income does not translate into the same amount that could be spent. Or something similar, related to the mental model topic they're talking about.

NegatioN 9y ago
He should probably have elaborated on that then imo. It seems like a low effort post if that was what he was trying to convey. However the comment you're replying to is also a useful mental model. Even though tax is "money spent", it is coming back to you through having a safer environment. Therefore it shouldn't be considered "wasted money" at the very least. Although the last sentence of the comment doesn't add much to his point.
- bluntfang 9y ago
  >He should probably have elaborated on that then imo. Maybe you shouldn't jump to conclusions and react aggressively to innocuous things?
gonzo41 9y ago
Sorry if my post comes off terse but truthfully there is a narrative in these (hackernews) boards that thinks taxes == bad. I react strongly to this because I live in Australia and we have taxes and they provide a lot of good. Sure, I pay a bit more in Medicare levy or income tax but I don't ever look at it. I know when I get sick I just go to the doctor and its' sorted, For $70 at that time with a rebate of $35 and then if I'm getting a script filled it's usually under $15 dollars. And if i have no cash i can take a bus a little further out and bulk bill. The same people who think that taxes are bad in this place are usually (I know I'm generalizing) the same people that bemoan company taxes. Yet if you look at places like Australia and elsewhere it's those same companies that pay no tax in our jurisdictions at all. I appreciate that our laws make this so. But there is the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. And those companies/people make a choice. Interesting side note: The people who run those companies are usually talking about UBI. Who the f--k is going to pay for that if those companies don't pay tax. But hey, what do I know I just pay tax and never really worry about it. If I have money I do stuff. If I have less money, I do less stuff. It's important that peoples mental models of tax do not regress to thinking it's just a cash grab. If you think government wastes money there are plenty of opportunities to get involved to change that or your way of thinking. But reducing the concept of taxes like this a real danger to any form of productive social contract.

NegatioN 9y ago

He should probably have elaborated on that then imo. It seems like a low effort post if that was what he was trying to convey. However the comment you're replying to is also a useful mental model. Even though tax is "money spent", it is coming back to you through having a safer environment. Therefore it shouldn't be considered "wasted money" at the very least. Although the last sentence of the comment doesn't add much to his point.

bluntfang 9y ago
>He should probably have elaborated on that then imo. Maybe you shouldn't jump to conclusions and react aggressively to innocuous things?

gonzo41 9y ago

Sorry if my post comes off terse but truthfully there is a narrative in these (hackernews) boards that thinks taxes == bad. I react strongly to this because I live in Australia and we have taxes and they provide a lot of good. Sure, I pay a bit more in Medicare levy or income tax but I don't ever look at it. I know when I get sick I just go to the doctor and its' sorted, For $70 at that time with a rebate of $35 and then if I'm getting a script filled it's usually under $15 dollars. And if i have no cash i can take a bus a little further out and bulk bill. The same people who think that taxes are bad in this place are usually (I know I'm generalizing) the same people that bemoan company taxes. Yet if you look at places like Australia and elsewhere it's those same companies that pay no tax in our jurisdictions at all. I appreciate that our laws make this so. But there is the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. And those companies/people make a choice. Interesting side note: The people who run those companies are usually talking about UBI. Who the f--k is going to pay for that if those companies don't pay tax. But hey, what do I know I just pay tax and never really worry about it. If I have money I do stuff. If I have less money, I do less stuff. It's important that peoples mental models of tax do not regress to thinking it's just a cash grab. If you think government wastes money there are plenty of opportunities to get involved to change that or your way of thinking. But reducing the concept of taxes like this a real danger to any form of productive social contract.