[105339] in Cypherpunks
Re: How to solve the tax problem w/o anarchy or force (fwd)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Soren)
Tue Nov 10 08:37:18 1998
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 09:08:11 -0500
From: Soren <sorens@workmail.com>
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Reply-To: Soren <sorens@workmail.com>
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Jim Choate wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>> Air traffic controlling
<P>When you buy your ticket from a commercial carrier and don't present
a tax
<BR>receipt your ticket price goes WAY! up.
<P>> Food and Drug Administration approvals
<P>When you buy food or drugs if you don't present your tax receipt then
you
<BR>pay the full price for foods and drugs.
<BR> </BLOCKQUOTE>
Very little explication of the difference between indirect taxes and direct.
The compromize that most libertarians propose (to anarcho-capitalists),
is that indirect (viz: consumption) taxes allow freedom of choice as opposed
to direct taxes (viz: 'income' taxes). I.e., don't want to pay taxes on
it? don't buy it.
<P>This also provides an outlet for the social do-gooders to create their
utopias by vastly inflating those taxes associated with less favored consumables
(tobacco, alcohol, guns, McD's, anchovies). This is not such a bad thing
as it may seem, as you can always elect to vote with your feet and relocate
yourself to where the local population agree with you as to what should
be heavily taxed, and what not. Perhaps this is why there were multiple
states in the US rather than a single homogenous state, prior to Honest
(I am not a crook) Abe?
<P>Last time I looked at it, there were 108 separate taxes included in
the retail cost of an egg and 112 for a loaf of bread, so yes, I would
prefer to pay the full price, sans taxes, please. The same goes for travel
via airline. Not so many taxen, just heftier ones at each step --
something like 15 at last count (fuel, landing contracts, use of airspace,
airport property taxes, country exit taxes ...).
<P>Direct taxes, without apportionment to the states, are illegal in the
US. Says so right there in the constitution. The 16th didn't confer
any more abilities on the federal government to sidestep this restriction.
In fact, direct taxes were (and legally still are), only applicable to
federal employees and those who reside within the boundaries of federal
jurisdiction (Washington D.C, land leased from the states, certain offshore
islands such as Johnston Atoll, Guam ships and planes of federal registry
...). So if you think paying federal direct taxes is the solution
to society's ills, join the federal payroll, become a ward of the state.
With the direct taxes you are already (voluntarily) paying, you are already
halfway there.
<P>One question for the socialists out there; when is the promised
egalitarian utopia going to kick in? It doesn't seem to be
getting any closer.</HTML>
