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From: orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Taxes: the cost of Civilization & Democracy: Reply to JoSH
Message-ID: <642@whuxl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 31-May-85 17:45:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: whuxl.642
Posted: Fri May 31 17:45:43 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Jun-85 03:24:34 EDT
References: <3750@alice.UUCP> <639@whuxl.UUCP> <2131@topaz.ARPA>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Whippany
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> 
> Nobody suggests that it
> is a crime to *pay* taxes--What is suggested is that it is morally
> reprehensible to *collect* them by force and by fraud.
> --JoSH

#1)Are taxes collected by *fraud*?  I fail to see how - fraud implies
   some sort of dishonesty.  For example if the government claimed it
   was withholding 30% of your weekly paycheck and it was actually
   withholding 50%. That is not the case.  (Unless JoSH has some secret
   scandalous information he would like to tell us.  If so I would
   think such information would quickly be divulged when everybody
   calculates their tax)
   Moreover the tax tables
   are no secret or somehow "fraudulent": they are available at any
   Public Library.  Every citizen who files a return can check that
   they are being followed (as indeed they do!) properly.
 
#2)Are taxes collected by *force*?  Well, I know JoSH and other anti-tax
   fanatics may find it unbelievable but local and state governments
   have tax bond issues up for election all the time. Sometimes these
   tax referenda lose.  But amazingly enough they more frequently *win*!
   The majority of citizens apparently believe that it is worthwhile to
   fund better schools, libraries, parks, roads and all the many services
   provided by government. That is the way democracy works.
   Nobody *forces* citizens to approve tax referenda - they exercise their
   free and democratic right to choose approval or rejection of
   such referenda.
   Once these tax referenda are approved by the democratic majority then
   such laws are enforced by force as are all other laws enacted in a
   democratic society.  They are no different in their enforcement than
   other laws regulating speed limits, murder, rape, theft,etc.
As Oliver Wendall Holmes said, "Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized
society"
Personally I prefer civilization to the law of the jungle.
          tim sevener   whuxl!orb