A Word on Government & Taxes, Anarchy, Libertarianism, and Socialism
I was really curious to see what the political sphere on Steemit was like when I joined. I haven't been reading lots of politics here, but Libertarianism/Anarchy seem to be strong in this community. To some of the people that I may have battled in the past: I actually like some ideas from Voluntaryism and Libertarianism. I definitely don't advocate for the government intruding into our lives, or eliminating privacy online or otherwise. Do I think that government, law, and infrastructure should be eliminated entirely? No. I didn't watch The Purge, and I don't want to see it in real life.
Something I see a lot is the notion that "taxation is theft". I'll say this: I agree, in our current situation. Where our taxes are going in the U.S. is absolutely abhorrent; defense spending is up, healthcare is forgotten, and we've cut educational programming like PBS and NPR. Federal Mental Health funding was cut by over $100 million this year. All the while, politicians line their pockets with our hard earned tax dollars. That is certainly theft.
But lets get some perspective; how are other countries spending their taxes? Norway seems to value social programs, public health, and education:
It would seem that Denmark spent more money on education (as percent of GDP) than every country ranked in 2014 (6.7%):
What does Sweden value as a nation? Let's check:
Education, social security, unemployment, and transportation. You know - infrastructure. Things that actually help people.
Eugh, get that socialism away from me, right? Yeah, well if providing the services that people need to live, get learnt, and succeed as a society is socialism, then count me in. Let me get this straight - if you are against taxes in any form, and are completely unwilling to pay into the pool for anyone elses education, health, or safety, then you are:
- Kind of a dick
- Hopefully sending your children to private school
- Paying all of your hospital bills out of pocket or through your company
- Never ever calling 911
- Preparing to fight for our country when the time comes
I understand the sentiment of that taxes should be voluntary, but greed would never let that work. You should feel like your tax money is working for you and your people, because that's how society works.
Do I think that our government is bloated and greedy? Yes. Do I think what goes up must come down? Yes. Do I think it will happen overnight at the hands of a handful of freedom fighters, anarchists, and memeing experts? No, that's... Silly. Sorry.
We should have the power to not topple our government, but influence its innerworkings and representatives so that it can function for all of us. Vote, be active, stay active. Our feeling that this changes anything is diminishing fast, but that doesn't mean we should stop participating.
It makes sense to me that the anarchist ideals are alive and well here, given that this platform is based off of a decentralized currency that is empowering and free of government intervention, which is awesome. 😎 That being said, I believe there is balance to everything, and when it comes to politics, "tear down the feds and let the free market reign" is short sighted and a bit of a cognitive cop-out. We need tax overhaul, we need mental health and homelessness infrastructure, we need innovative cirriculums and higher pay for educators, we need federal healthcare (with an opt-out option). We don't need to throw our hands in the air and just say "fuck it all, we can do everything ourselves"; it won't happen, and even if it did, it would be a harsher reality than you could imagine.
What do you think?
I would describe myself as an anarchist, and I agree with the sentiment that "taxation is theft". Allow me to explain my reasoning.
I would have less of a problem with paying taxes if they were being used to do things like help the poor and pay for schools. Where I have a big problem is when they get used to pay for bombs/wars, military, police, and the rather extravagant lives of government officials who don't even work for our interests. I do understand your point that people would be less willing to pony up voluntarily, but in my mind, that doesn't make extorting money under threat of state violence against individuals excusable.
Furthermore, I believe that any system of hierarchical governance is prone to such corruption. Voting is a trick to gain your confidence, nothing more, recent events in the USA have exposed that more than ever.
I'm not idealistic or naive enough to believe that the change we need, as you put it, "will happen overnight at the hands of a handful of freedom fighters, anarchists, and memeing experts", but I think it's equally silly to believe it will happen by working incrementally through our current system, especially not when the people running that system have a vested interest in keeping it as messed up as it is or worse.
I will give you this: it appears we could learn something from the Scandinavians. Seems like there's gotta be something to be said for the fact that they're definitely "happier". In all honesty, I'm tempted to wonder if their apparent happiness is a sham too, but I'm willing to admit that may be my cynicism talking. I'm not necessarily opposed to the idea of socialism the way many right-wing (or right-leaning) anarchists/libertarians are. I'm not sure I really fall on either side there, but I digress. It just seems to me that the bureaucracy involved in such things tends to be a problem.
Yes!!! Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I agree with the sentiment that any system of hierarchal government is prone to the corruption - and the idea that fumbling through the system as it is and voting for reps that may or may not truly have your best interests in mind can't be the driving force of the change. We need resistance, and most importantly, something productive, not entirely destructive, needs to come of it.
Thanks again for your level-headed and well-written comment, I appreciate where you stand in the balance between extremes.
Cheers!