I might have paid my fair share in taxes and not played the games I did if I saw similar behavior by those in power, but as long as they were taking money from the public purse, so did I.
On Feb 26, 2:15 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > Moons ago I was involved with cooperatives. One clear point was that > business operation and banking needed routinising and to be made > accessible - there is no rocket science, only a pretence of it. Much > power operates through this pretence, and much goes on to prevent > people making their own livings and taking care of much of the > 'social' and an increased quality of food locally produced and > somewhere to have roots. We could have this and global, innovation- > based competitions too. The competitions could be broadly > cooperative. Paying tax in such a society is very different from the > way we are taxed in ours. Clearly, much of the "tax" we have been > paying has been slipping through the pockets of bwankers - sliding > much more quickly down the waste tube than anything we paid to > featherbedded public services. > I'd pay taxes gladly if I saw disadvantaged kids getting services they > need. It seems I pay them to support middle-class bureaucrats who > can't do this job. > > On 25 Feb, 18:45, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Yes, it is fran. Today many who pay a lot in taxes, not percentage > > wise, but in amount based on a large income don't mind at all. Only a > > select vocal few are heard in the media to the point that such > > propaganda about the government being the problem (Ronnie)....has > > become a common myth. I've said it many times...when I was a kid, my > > father paid 91% of his income in taxes...and, we did VERY well....no > > complaints. Today, in most cases, the poor pay a higher percentage of > > their income in taxes than the rich. Robin Hood aside, this is absurd > > no matter the argument. > > > On Feb 25, 9:28 am, frantheman <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Don's - of course - purely rhetorical suggestion about the non-payment > > > of taxes seems to echo a certain US American mythology that there's > > > something un-american about paying taxes, as well as there being > > > something inherently suspect about (central) government. > > > > Nobody likes paying taxes and very few would even consider paying more > > > than they absolutely have to - including me. But I must also > > > acknowledge that taxation is the basic method for paying for things > > > which a country/community/society feels need to be organised > > > collectively. It belongs to the basic ideas of self-definition of a > > > country/community/society to decide what these collective tasks are > > > and how far they should be funded by the common purse. > > > > Even as a non-US American, I seem to remember that the rallying cry > > > for the American Revolution was not, "No taxation," but rather "No > > > taxation without representation." The USA established itself on this > > > basis as a representative democracy. Everything else flows from that. > > > To use the language of 18th Century political thinkers, that's the > > > basic social contract and there's no way to opt out of it and back to > > > the "state of nature." As far as I recall, the US fought a rather > > > spectacular civil war about that very issue. Those who wanted the > > > right to opt out lost. > > > > None of this, of course, addresses problems of injustice within > > > particular taxation systems. But, strictly seen, that's what has to be > > > sorted out within the representative democracy framework. Or, if your > > > conscientious objections lead you to refuse, then you must accept the > > > consequences. In my opinion, that's the kind of bravery Orn is talking > > > about. > > > > Francis > > > > On 25 Feb., 16:50, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > First, since the US stopped being serious about tariffs, taxes are > > > > needed for the common good. The IRS has been under-funded for years > > > > and the result(s) is they only go after those accounts that will be > > > > easy to collect. read: the accounts of the non-powerful/non-rich. > > > > Our founding fathers not only decided not to continue to pay their > > > > taxes, but they took action that would have resulted in their death if > > > > caught. Almost to a man, they died in poverty. Few today are as brave. > > > > > On Feb 24, 6:41 pm, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Sure, the Duty of Civil Disobedience, good ole Thoreau. Truthfully, > > > > > they already have the tax money, now it's people filing returns hoping > > > > > to get something back from the forced prepay plan. You can't get a > > > > > job at any corporation if you tell them you will pay your own taxes > > > > > from a 1099. The IRS spends hundreds of thousands on paper alone plus > > > > > millions on salaried collectors and yes men. > > > > > > On Feb 24, 7:05 pm, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > I'm against rioting in the streets but I'm all for civil > > > > > > disobedience. > > > > > > If we en mass refused to pay federal taxes for last year I think we > > > > > > might get Washington's attention. Start simply by applying for > > > > > > extensions and taking every legal route to delay paying right up > > > > > > until > > > > > > the court order to pay and then just quietly say "No." > > > > > > > Whatta ya say gang? Who's with me? > > > > > > > dj > > > > > > > Disclaimer: Above suggestion is purely rhetorical and I have no > > > > > > intention of disobeying the law or avoiding my fiscal obligation to > > > > > > my > > > > > > country. Nor am I aware of any group planning to do so. All Hail > > > > > > Obama! His truth is shining on. > > > > > > > On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 6:43 PM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > That's what we need to happen gruff, then the world will realize > > > > > > > that > > > > > > > we never really did need the bashstards (scot accent) and that we > > > > > > > can > > > > > > > "Grow Food" without them. Banks are a system for the wealthy and > > > > > > > that > > > > > > > is why they are giving billions of dollars to the unscrupulous > > > > > > > creeps > > > > > > > that are throwing people out on the street instead of giving the > > > > > > > money > > > > > > > to the people who really need it. It's protectionism for > > > > > > > society's > > > > > > > elite. Are the banks lowering interest rates and refinancing? > > > > > > > NO!! > > > > > > > Illinois based Northern Trust just took $1.6 Billion dollars from > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > tax payers and went on a vacation jaunt in Southern California and > > > > > > > hired the Band Chicago for $100,000, this all with Tax Payer > > > > > > > Money. > > > > > > > These people are spitting on us. Tax breaks that are going to > > > > > > > give a > > > > > > > family an extra $65 a month is pathetic. $600 to $1200 per family > > > > > > > stimulus money is pathetic. They should give everyone $100,000 > > > > > > > to > > > > > > > stimulate the economy, but you see it's the economy of the rich > > > > > > > that > > > > > > > they want to stimulate. There will be rioting in the streets > > > > > > > even if > > > > > > > the banks don't collapse because people are starting to realize > > > > > > > what > > > > > > > Schleps they are and how tied into the economic Slavery program > > > > > > > they > > > > > > > are. Why should I give money to a bank that is throwing my > > > > > > > friend out > > > > > > > on the street when I could give the money to my friend instead? > > > > > > > To > > > > > > > Hell with the Bashstards!! > > > > > > > > On Feb 23, 8:16 am, gruff <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > >> Banks, more than any other industry, can't be allowed to fail. > > > > > > >> Financing and credit are so interwoven into the economies of all > > > > > > >> nations that should the banks fail the entire economy would go > > > > > > >> bust. This may not be right but, as one talking head noted > > > > > > >> yesterday on the tube, lending has almost become a utility just > > > > > > >> like > > > > > > >> power and water. If the banks are allowed to fail, I'm afraid > > > > > > >> society and civilization as we know it will also fail. Then > > > > > > >> there > > > > > > >> will be rioting in the streets, for certain. > > > > > > > >> However, I agree that since the top four or five percent of the > > > > > > >> world > > > > > > >> owns and controls forty or more percent of the wealth, they > > > > > > >> should be > > > > > > >> called to account and to help. > > > > > > > >> On Feb 17, 3:27 pm, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > >> > I see people who have paid taxes for years being thrown out on > > > > > > >> > the > > > > > > >> > street by banks who are foreclosing on their homes while tax > > > > > > >> > payer > > > > > > >> > money is being doled out in billions to the same banks. Who > > > > > > >> > are those > > > > > > >> > people making millions of dollars every year taking tax payers > > > > > > >> > money. > > > > > > >> > By what right do they have to use tax money for that purpose. > > > > > > >> > What is > > > > > > >> > wrong with people in allowing this to go on? Why doesn't the > > > > > > >> > government use tax payer money to bring mortgages up to date > > > > > > >> > and order > > > > > > >> > banks to refinance at a lower rate. It wouldn't even cost one > > > > > > >> > billion to keep families in their homes. Where are the > > > > > > >> > wealthy, so > > > > > > >> > called benefactors, Gates and Buffet in all of this? Why > > > > > > >> > shouldn't > > > > > > >> > banks be allowed to fall just like others? It seems they, the > > > > > > >> > upper > > > > > > >> > echelon of society, still live in their own lofty worlds > > > > > > >> > without a > > > > > > >> > care for humanity. What is wrong with them? I predict a > > > > > > >> > national > > > > > > >> > breakdown in civility, a Ya Basta stance issued by the people. > > > > > > >> > Rioting and looting and arch's political bloodletting ritual.- > > > > > > >> > Hide quoted text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
