Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site dciem.UUCP Path: utzoo!dciem!mmt From: mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Voltaxes and Theftaxes Message-ID: <786@dciem.UUCP> Date: Wed, 14-Mar-84 18:06:24 EST Article-I.D.: dciem.786 Posted: Wed Mar 14 18:06:24 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 14-Mar-84 18:52:18 EST References: <536@hou5a.UUCP> Organization: D.C.I.E.M., Toronto, Canada Lines: 34 =============== The only leverage a political system should have over people in causing them to pay taxes is the possibility of loss of the benefits of belonging to that system. This is analogous to a business refusing to provide a service to someone who refuses to pay for it. Tom Craver hou5a!trc =============== Like much of Tom's writing, the piece from which this is taken has its own internal logic, but little connection with reality. Sure, we can disconnect Tom's sewer pipe, but who pays for the typhoid he then spreads? Can we keep him off the road and sidewalk without infringing on his right to movement and assembly? Can we deny him his television, on the grounds that much of the fundamental research that went into its construction was paid for by taxes he didn't voluntarily give? Can we ensure that he doesn't use a million other facilities that he doesn't even know were paid by his involuntary taxes? Let's be realistic as well as logical. It is IMPOSSIBLE for any person, even an objectivist, to know everything that is going on. We delegate political responsibility to those we elect, and they delegate technical responsibility to a myriad of commissions, bureaucrats, etc. etc. Of course the system can get out of hand; it takes a lot of work to maintain a reasonable balance between freedom and responsibility. But objective anarchy won't help anyone. There was a nice quote from JFK in the paper a couple of days ago, to the effect that he thought that when there was a flood, all boats rise (talking about the economy and who benefits from a good one). -- Martin Taylor {allegra,linus,ihnp4,uw-beaver,floyd,ubc-vision}!utzoo!dciem!mmt