Certainly the federal government has the constitutional authority to
collect taxes. For about the first 70 years or so the taxes the
federal government collected were indirect taxes in the form of
excises and tariffs. As long as most indirect taxes were low they
were not noticeable. When the federal government started raising
tariffs more and more then the taxes became noticeable. As a result
of this a lot people didn't like paying ever increasing prices due
to the increase in tariffs and excise taxes. As a result of this
many people wanted to do what was done in 1776 when independence was
declard from the then federal government in London,England and they
declare independence from federal government in Washington DC. The
federal government didn't want those people to be independent from
the federal government ad so there was a war that lasted 4 years and
the federal government won that war. Thus the state I live in is
part of the U.S.A.
If one supports the view that all taxation is theft then by that
definition of libertarianism taxation and libertarianism are
incompatible. That is unless one supports thhe idea that there can
be voluntary taxes or no penalty for non-payment of taxes.
If one supports the view that liberty can only exist without a state
then one would believe that the Constitution and libertarianism are
incompatible.
If one believes that libertarianism holds that property rights are
absolute then one would hold the view that at least part of the 5th
Amendment is anti-libertarian because it implies that private
property can be taken for public use if the owner is given just
compensation. Also one would believe that the 3rd Amendment is anti-
libertarian because it states that soldiers can be quartered in
one's in time of war in a manner to be prescribed by law.
Also in Article Sec. 9 of the Constitution it states that under
certain circumstances the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended
which is something that many libertarians find anti-libertarian.
$
--- In [email protected], "J R" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Taxes and Libertarians
>
> I guess there is a fundamental disconnect between the Constitution
and
> Libertarianism. While the Libertarian philosophy is perfectly free
to
> oppose taxation in any form, the Libertarian Party can't pound
their
> shoes in support of the Constitution AND oppose taxes. Article 1,
> Section 8 of the Constitution clearly gives Congress the power to
> impose taxes:
>
> "The Congress shall have Power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties,
> Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common
> Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties,
> Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States"
>
> I realize certain individuals will twist and turn some legalese
mumbo-
> jumbo to try to show how what it says isn't what it says, but I am
just
> a plain old feller who reads and understands plain old English.
And I
> know what it says. And I know what it means. The 16th amendment is
only
> a clarification or perhaps even a limitation on A1,S8.
>
> Since the law providing for taxation is the Constitution, statutes
in
> the tax code are merely the means of executing the Constitution.
>
> Now, it is entirely disuseful to run around trying to claim the
> government has no authority to collect taxes, income or otherwise.
That
> is patently false. It is much more useful to run around trying to
> minimize taxes by eliminating government spending on things not
within
> the purview of the federal government as defined by the
Constitution.
> It is this argument that will win support and votes for
Libertarians
> inside or outside the LP. Is is this argument that requires a
> Libertarian to oppose federal financing of stem cell research. It
is
> this this argument that requires a Libertarian to abolish all the
> social engineering laws passes in the last century and half. It is
this
> argument that requires a Libertarian to abolish most of the
cabinet
> departments.
>
> That is all for now.
>
> LIBERTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
> Vjklander
>
