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First rule of false argument is to push a sound argument to an extreme and ridicule it. The argument is not "all government spending is waste" but rather "signi

First rule of false argument is to push a sound argument to an extreme and ridicule it. The argument is not "all government spending is waste" but rather "significant part of government spending is the product of narrow, sectorial and personal interests which are not that different from Saverin's". That's unfortunately a sound argument. You could easily find sum equal to his tax savings wasted without a remote linkage to anything patriotic.

jbooth 14y ago
"Significant part" is a weasel word. You talking 10%? 90%? In order to justify a moral imperative not to pay taxes, it's gotta be towards the 90% end, so I wasn't misstating the implication. Just cutting through the weasel words. I wasn't pushing the argument to the extreme - it started off as extreme.
- DodgyEggplant 14y ago
  Even 1% would be far more than Saverin's saving. You should really read Lawrence Lessig.