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> "The way to solve that isn't to surveil earnings and spending. It is to make a good case for why people should pay taxes" What makes you say that? Has that e

> "The way to solve that isn't to surveil earnings and spending. It is to make a good case for why people should pay taxes" What makes you say that? Has that ever worked? IMO taxpayers should pay their taxes simply because they are citizens and that's the law. If the taxes aren't bearable or just or aren't spent wisely, then they should vote accordingly at the next elections. Tax evasion does in fact reward the corruption that has led to tax evasion. And the way to end tax evasion IMO is to (1) decrease taxes, as to make the burden bearable for everybody, but then (2) put tax evaders in jail, show no mercy.

yawboakye 7y ago
> IMO taxpayers should pay their taxes simply because they are citizens and that's the law. If the taxes aren't bearable or just or aren't spent wisely, then they should vote accordingly at the next elections Let's assume that this is the reason for tax obligations. What will be the equivalent statement made for the government? Government should collect taxes from citizens because it's the law to collect taxes from citizens? Tax collection isn't a sport. It's toward national development. If one end happens (tax collection) but the other doesn't (national development), expect rational beings to change attitude towards the first.
- imtringued 7y ago
  Are you seriously saying draconian taxes are acceptable because you can decide not to pay them? This isn't how a democratic government is supposed to work. That's just pure anarchy and probably points to why Greece came into this situation in the first place. Citizens do not face the consequences of the government they elected and therefore they have no incentive to actually vote for politicians that want to solve the problem. Instead everyone is trying to break the rules in every way possible and then once a rare and naive guy gets into government and wants to suggest a real solution your little raft made out of discarded PVC pipes that you have carefully built over the course of your life isn't good enough anymore. Being forced to upgrade to a kayak is going to be painful but it will be worth it in the long run.
LocalH 7y ago
> IMO taxpayers should pay their taxes simply because they are citizens and that's the law. Following the law just because "it's the law" is the silliest reason to do so I've ever heard.
mitsakos 7y ago
> If the taxes aren't bearable or just or aren't spent wisely, then they should vote accordingly at the next elections. There's a number of assumptions in that sentence that I 'd like to challenge: a) That people act as rational beings and will at the next elections vote to their best interest. b) That people have the information to gauge whether taxes/resources are spent wisely c) That the main contributing factor to people's voting preferences is taxation or spending of resources d) That there is a lack of disinformation campaigns that will actively try to sabotage both a) and b)

yawboakye 7y ago

> IMO taxpayers should pay their taxes simply because they are citizens and that's the law. If the taxes aren't bearable or just or aren't spent wisely, then they should vote accordingly at the next elections Let's assume that this is the reason for tax obligations. What will be the equivalent statement made for the government? Government should collect taxes from citizens because it's the law to collect taxes from citizens? Tax collection isn't a sport. It's toward national development. If one end happens (tax collection) but the other doesn't (national development), expect rational beings to change attitude towards the first.

imtringued 7y ago
Are you seriously saying draconian taxes are acceptable because you can decide not to pay them? This isn't how a democratic government is supposed to work. That's just pure anarchy and probably points to why Greece came into this situation in the first place. Citizens do not face the consequences of the government they elected and therefore they have no incentive to actually vote for politicians that want to solve the problem. Instead everyone is trying to break the rules in every way possible and then once a rare and naive guy gets into government and wants to suggest a real solution your little raft made out of discarded PVC pipes that you have carefully built over the course of your life isn't good enough anymore. Being forced to upgrade to a kayak is going to be painful but it will be worth it in the long run.

LocalH 7y ago

> IMO taxpayers should pay their taxes simply because they are citizens and that's the law. Following the law just because "it's the law" is the silliest reason to do so I've ever heard.

mitsakos 7y ago

> If the taxes aren't bearable or just or aren't spent wisely, then they should vote accordingly at the next elections. There's a number of assumptions in that sentence that I 'd like to challenge: a) That people act as rational beings and will at the next elections vote to their best interest. b) That people have the information to gauge whether taxes/resources are spent wisely c) That the main contributing factor to people's voting preferences is taxation or spending of resources d) That there is a lack of disinformation campaigns that will actively try to sabotage both a) and b)