RE: I pay my taxes! and Politicians work for those that pay their wages... And I can prove it - Dammit!
Hello. Interesting read. Here are a couple suggestions when approaching the concept of taxes. Income taxes are very specific and not related to many of the other taxes that are paid individually such as Capital Gains, property, etc. In this case, there is a "voluntary" agreement between an individual and the State or at least a "fear of loss" motivator if one doesn't pay their taxes. Additionally, lobbyists who make cash payments or gifts to politicians are breaking the law as are the politicians who accept these payments. I'm not suggesting that this doesn't happen, but it isn't "supposed" to happen. Government employees (including politicians) do work for citizens. Regardless of whether the citizens "voluntarily" give up their taxes or not. Whether they are accountable to those citizens, do a good/bad job, become corrupt or despots isn't at issue. Lastly, I would suggest that bureaucrats don't screw up as many lives as is claimed, but are rather scapegoated by people who fail to hold themselves accountable to bad decisions.
Just my thoughts. Thanks for the post. It gives us quite a bit to think about.
Hi - So for capital gains tax etc. "..It's voluntary" - you're saying that people volunteer to give politicians some of the money they've earned in order to avoid a "loss." You said they are motivated by fear.
Yes, they are motivated in exactly the same way that a small businessman is motivated to "pay" a mafia not to wreck his business, with the result that he "volunteers" to "pay" them protection money.
Lobbyists and politicians - accepting gifts/cash - breaking the law. Not really relevant to what I was saying. The fact is that it happens and it is voluntary. That's all I was saying.
Government employees work for citizens. - "...Regardless of whether the citizens "voluntarily" give up their taxes or not.." But that's the whole point, if their money is taken from them, and it doesn't matter if they agree to it or not, how can it be said that the people taking the money are working for the people losing the money?
"....Whether they are accountable to those citizens, do a good/bad job, become corrupt or despots isn't at issue..." Of course it is at issue. If you have someone working for you, by definition, they are accountable to you. You must understand that if you employ a guy to renovate your garden and he ends up stealing your lawnmower and garden tools, he is no longer working for you. He stopped working for you when he started stealing from you.
"...bureaucrats don't screw up as many lives as is claimed, ..." Obviously that's incalculable, but at least you do agree that they screw up some lives.
"...Government employees (including politicians) do work for citizens...." Actually, that's impossible, (if I can assume that you mean that they work for all citizens).
Even if all politicians and bureaucrats were honest and tried to do good things, they still couldn't work for citizens.
Gov doesn't produce anything. All gov does is take money from one group of people and give some of it to other people, after taking their cut of course. So, if giving money to one group of people is the result of "work" done on behalf of those people, then how do you describe what has happened to the people whose money was taken? Seems like they were robbed.
I understand that I failed to explain the point I was trying to make.
Thanks for taking the time to comment - appreciated.