Re: Heartburn of the Day

On Jul 6, 4:06 pm, MooseFET <kensm...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Jul 6, 3:27 pm, James Arthur <dagmargoodb...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:



On Jul 6, 1:47 pm, Fred Bloggs <nos...@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

James Arthur wrote:
On Jul 6, 5:26 am, MooseFET <kensm...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

You choose which country to live in and whether to drive a car and
whether to make a contract etc.

Is there no limit to the taxes justified by this rationale? No
question as to the usefulness, quality, or need of the 'services' so
forceably supplied?

"It would be thought a hard government that should tax its people one-
tenth part of their time to be employed in its service." --Benjamin
Franklin, 1758

Best,
James Arthur

That quotation has been taken WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY out of context, You're a
goddam neo-con revisionist. What the hell do you think Franklin would be
saying in 1758!

Not only is the quote not out of context, it's exactly on point. As
a part of a larger argument, Franklin remarked on the appropriate size
of government, at the same time noting the effect on its citizens:
that they are forced to serve the government, rather than vice versa.
I have the text in front of me.

(A similar observation from Mark Twain exists, circa 1900. His
figure was 7%)

But if you dislike these then please, what portion of your time
ought your Government require you to labor in its service?

I take it we are no longer arguing about zero.

Right. The question should be about the amounts of taxes and their
uses, not about whether to tax at all. Further questions are what
ought taxes properly be used for, and who should pay them.

To say they're payment for services rendered is incorrect though.
Since AIUI fewer than 1-in-4 pay (federal) taxes, they are,
inevitably, payments for services rendered mostly to others.

Cheers,
James Arthur

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