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Governments exist as a response to the tragedy of the commons. Pragmatically, if you don't pay taxes to a government that has a military, then your neighbor wi
by hayst4ck 2y ago
Governments exist as a response to the tragedy of the commons.
Pragmatically, if you don't pay taxes to a government that has a military, then your neighbor will invade you and impose whatever taxes they deem fit or outright exterminate you, or historically directly enslave you.
- monero-xmr 2y agoI am happy to fund a military, and that’s basically it, and it could certainly be done without income, capital gains, or corporate taxes
- cyberax 2y agoHow about Social Security? Or Medicare? Do you think you'll be able to buy an insurance once you're old? But wait, there's more! Without government, what stops me from dumping a couple of tons of cadmium in your water supply?
- monero-xmr 2y agoI would find it near impossible that someone dumping a truckload of cadmium down a sewer or into the river is caught today, even with our insane taxes and panopticon state. In fact I know someone who makes a shitload of money in “waste disposal” who is regularly dumping illegally! However if a factory was doing it as a matter of regular business, a law could ban this practice, and then citizens could sue just like they do now.
- cyberax 2y ago> I would find it near impossible that someone dumping a truckload of cadmium down a sewer or into the river is caught today Oh, I won't do it covertly. I'll just build my solar panel producing factory and dump the waste stream in your water supply. > However if a factory was doing it as a matter of regular business, a law could ban this practice, and then citizens could sue just like they do now. How quaint. Now you need laws? That's a big-government talk right here. And how would you find out that I'm dumping cadmium? Do you have proof? Of course, we won't let you just visit our property. And without an injury, you have no standing in a civil court.
- hayst4ck 2y agoOk, but then you have some kind of state intelligence, because you need intelligence for a military to operate on, and then military capability is a function of technology. Then you need some form of law, and law implies police, and conflict implies a justice system, a justice system implies a prison system. As your society suffers due to poor social programs, the one next door that believes in public education will have a better military due to better technology, maybe they decide they need breathing space... Your position is one you can only hold due to privilege.
- monero-xmr 2y agoNo the city I live in pays $35,000 per student and 80% of them graduate illiterate. Hard for me to imagine a worse situation of misused tax dollars than public education
- bruce511 2y agoSurely though in this example the issue us not taxation but rather spending? I would suggest it until the revenue collection that is the issue, but the outcomes of revenue spent. If 100% of the students graduated, went on to college, and grew the local economy, would you still be against the tax?
- monero-xmr 2y agoI’d rather you never take my money in the first place, given the government’s track record of using money inefficiently
- TeMPOraL 2y ago> and 80% of them graduate illiterate That sounds less like misused tax dollars, and more like a major humanitarian crisis. Which country do you live in?
- monero-xmr 2y agoThe USA of course! This is not my city, but a perfect example of how this happens https://x.com/mericamemed/status/1909531665250034171?s=46 https://x.com/mericamemed/status/1909531665250034171?s=46