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>>The only time taxes are required is when people will not freely give money for a project. That is literally the only reason taxes exist. Nothing is stopping p

>>The only time taxes are required is when people will not freely give money for a project. That is literally the only reason taxes exist. Nothing is stopping people from donating to the government. I like this point and I make it a lot to my Democrat friends who insist rich people should pay more taxes. These people use the fact that they are themselves rich to support their argument ("I should pay more taxes too, you see!"). I always ask them, "Then why don't you? The Treasury accepts donations, you know." It would be a persuasive gesture for folks like Bill Gates and Bernie Sanders who are insisting their tax bracket should be higher to write big checks to the Treasury for what they think is morally right. But of course, they won't. Nor should they -- top charities deliver much higher societal ROI than government, in my opinion. And apparently Gates et al. agree with me privately. Publicly... they are all for higher taxes as long as it's forced by threat of imprisonment, apparently.

Retric 8y ago
Taxes are more than just a revenue source, they also change people’s bahavor. So, donating money to the government and raising taxes results in different outcomes. I don’t think the US government needs more money, but the current tax structure distorts the economy and creates inefficiency. Longer term, having the rich pay little taxes destabilizes the nation. Democratic rule is not perticularly stable over time and the US is heading down a very dark path. In the end their are not enough billionaires where revenue from them really matters. Higher taxes on competent wealthy people has little real impact. However, ultra low capital gains is crital for creating a group of people who are incompetent, inherited lots of money, and stay powerful.
eropple 8y ago
Systemic issues are not solved by individual action. Software people (generally) seem to understand that in our field; it's why we have standards and code reviews. I don't understand why that understanding leaks out of one's brain when it's applied to the rest of the world. The issues that proponents intend to address with greater taxation on the wealthy have remarkably little to do with "the government doesn't have enough money". They have to do with "taxes form economic incentives and the current set of incentives suck for everybody". An individual--yes, including Bill Gates--paying more taxes has marginal impact on the systemic issues of high-end under-taxation. Had the phrase not been co-opted by dirtbags, we'd probably file the act you are asking your "Democrat friends" about under...wait for it...virtue signaling.

Retric 8y ago

Taxes are more than just a revenue source, they also change people’s bahavor. So, donating money to the government and raising taxes results in different outcomes. I don’t think the US government needs more money, but the current tax structure distorts the economy and creates inefficiency. Longer term, having the rich pay little taxes destabilizes the nation. Democratic rule is not perticularly stable over time and the US is heading down a very dark path. In the end their are not enough billionaires where revenue from them really matters. Higher taxes on competent wealthy people has little real impact. However, ultra low capital gains is crital for creating a group of people who are incompetent, inherited lots of money, and stay powerful.

eropple 8y ago

Systemic issues are not solved by individual action. Software people (generally) seem to understand that in our field; it's why we have standards and code reviews. I don't understand why that understanding leaks out of one's brain when it's applied to the rest of the world. The issues that proponents intend to address with greater taxation on the wealthy have remarkably little to do with "the government doesn't have enough money". They have to do with "taxes form economic incentives and the current set of incentives suck for everybody". An individual--yes, including Bill Gates--paying more taxes has marginal impact on the systemic issues of high-end under-taxation. Had the phrase not been co-opted by dirtbags, we'd probably file the act you are asking your "Democrat friends" about under...wait for it...virtue signaling.