4 ms·

Seems like on every thread about regulation or taxes someone with a libertarian point of view has to chime in with this extremely orthogonal point to spread the

by codyb 7y ago

Seems like on every thread about regulation or taxes someone with a libertarian point of view has to chime in with this extremely orthogonal point to spread their views on government. For one thing, you’re arguing simultaneously that the government is spending more money than it’s generating while also arguing that people should pay less taxes which seems extremely odd in back to back sentences. For another you just toss in this implicit idea that government spending is wasted money. That may be something you believe but it doesn’t appear to be the belief of most Americans or Europeans who enjoy things like public utilities, roads, education, defense, research, etc. And finally, the point is, again, very orthogonal to the discussion at hand. It might be tangentially related but it’s an entirely different discussion. This article is talking about how these mega corporations are using tax evasion strategies to avoid paying their fair share in the existing framework. And your discussion is about reworking the entire framework, and feels slightly evangelical, and flippant.

chatmasta 7y ago
How is it any more evangelical than arguing that companies should pay for some nebulous concept of “their fair share?” What is “fair,” if not what’s legally required of them? Is anyone suggesting that these companies are breaking the law or violating the tax code? Btw, I would love it if the government could figure out how to spend money on “public utilities, roads, education.” And yet, our infrastructure is in an embarrassing state of disrepair, and our public education system is a laughingstock. Despite trillions of dollars that would be more than sufficient to fund these projects, nothing gets done. So why should I support giving them even more money? If the government could demonstrate an ability to allocate capital efficiently, then I could see the argument. But as is, they do a terribly wasteful job of investing it in projects that would actually benefit the public. Before raising taxes, maybe they should try rearranging the budget to prioritize projects that benefit everyone.
- codyb 7y ago
  It’s evangelical because it’s being brought up in a conversation that’s not about that topic at all.

by codyb 7y ago

chatmasta 7y ago

How is it any more evangelical than arguing that companies should pay for some nebulous concept of “their fair share?” What is “fair,” if not what’s legally required of them? Is anyone suggesting that these companies are breaking the law or violating the tax code? Btw, I would love it if the government could figure out how to spend money on “public utilities, roads, education.” And yet, our infrastructure is in an embarrassing state of disrepair, and our public education system is a laughingstock. Despite trillions of dollars that would be more than sufficient to fund these projects, nothing gets done. So why should I support giving them even more money? If the government could demonstrate an ability to allocate capital efficiently, then I could see the argument. But as is, they do a terribly wasteful job of investing it in projects that would actually benefit the public. Before raising taxes, maybe they should try rearranging the budget to prioritize projects that benefit everyone.

codyb 7y ago
It’s evangelical because it’s being brought up in a conversation that’s not about that topic at all.