Quote:
Originally Posted by Worldwalker
Y'know, for the "pay your own way" people ... the people trying to move to some unknown and untested future ... I have to wonder what they think tax money should be spent on. They've said it shouldn't be spent for the support of the poor, for the provision of fire and emergency medical services, for the running of libraries, for the management of roads, even for the maintenance of city buildings. What the hell should it be spent for, then, except for the salaries of city officials (something I've never seen a city official try to cut?). Why exactly are we paying taxes if not to have libraries, emergency services, roads, and help for those less well off? Why did our predecessors get it so wrong when they thought we should get those things for our tax money?
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It shouldn't be spent at all; it shouldn't be taxed at all. People know better how to spend their money, and if they weren't taught from birth that the state will do things for them, and they needed a road, they'd organize and build it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Worldwalker
"Pay as you go" has been tried; we call it the Middle Ages. It turned out very, very badly for 99% of the people. The people who built a world with highways and fire trucks, ambulances and, yes, libraries, knew what they were doing. Throwing all that under the (privatized) bus and going back to the Middle Ages would be a very, very bad idea.
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I disagree; citizens of the Roman Empire worked less than 2 days a year to cover taxes, and it was enough to keep all the legions in working order.
But this is getting political - perhaps it's best to finish this branch of thread discussion at this point?