[geeks] Ping...

[Lionel Peterson]

Last post on this - honest.

Thanks to everyone for enduring this thread, I hope most found it
interesting on some level...

Lionel

--- David Cantrell <david at cantrell.org.uk> wrote:
> If you are one of those lucky few to be earning
> millions
> (to take an extreme example) then I think it's pretty reasonable for
> those
> representatives to deduce that you can afford to contribute quite a
> bit of
> it.  And consequently that you don't need it for your own personal
> ends.

Well, I just plain don't like the idea of others telling me what I can
afford/what I owe. I have no problem paying taxes, but my good fortune
shouldn't make me a target of the government.

<poll tax topic deleted>

> > Point taken, I was thinking more along the lines of taxes somehow
> > equating to the services provided for the revenue.
> 
> So you mean a poll tax, with a comparitively higher tax burden on
> those least able to afford to pay.  I dunno about where you are,
> but over here we learn about the badly named "Peasants' Revolt"
> in the 14th century, where a poll tax, which burdened the poor
> whilst being of no consequence to the rich (the rich who controlled
> taxation, gosh, what a surprise),

Come on, I agreed with you - you won this point! ;^)

> > > > > My solution is a flat tax with no ability to deduct or
> > > > > skip out of paying taxes (especially for corporations).
> > > > Every highly-paid person I know was in favor of a flat tax.
> > > Of course, it's in their best interests.  Greed makes an
> > > excellent motivator.
> > No - simplicity. Steve Forbes proposed a flat tax that ws, I think,
> > 10-15%, with rate of 0% up to, IIRC, $35K. Greed also goes both
> > ways, you seem quite comfortable taking my money (see above)
> 
> and you will note also quite comfortable with the idea of
> contributing my money too.

My money is not your concern. I cna choose to donate all Iwant, but
demand it and I will fight you tooth and nail.

> > but I can't defend my right to keep it just as vigerously?
> 
> I would never dream of revoking the right to free speech.

So what, I can talk about my right to keep it, I just can't "actually"
keep it? Interesting ;^)
 
> I advocate people making a fair contribution to society.  Feel free
> to disagree, but I don't much care because when I become benevolent
> dictator of the world I will send in a crack squad of buxom virgins
to
> distract you whilst my trained monkeys take what you owe plus a
> collection fee.

Interesting possibility...
 
> Actually no, the correct solution is to realise that tax rates that
> high are silly.  I never advocated tax rates that high.  I do think
> that our current top rate of income tax is too low though.  It
> should be increased, whilst sales taxes should be decreased, thus
> shifting the tax burden onto those more able to afford to pay, such
> as myself.

Quite reasonable - VAT SUX ;^)
 

<luxury tax topic snipped>

> Tax it anyway.  It's not as if governments don't try to do that
> anyway right now.  A close friend apparently has the opportunity
> to apply for US citizenship because he's lived there for N years
> with a .USian wife.
> He has decided not to, one of the reasons being that even if he moves
> away from the US the US government would tax his earnings abroad.  No
> doubt other governments try the same trick.

OK - no exp. with any points raised here...

> > > > The worst thing that
> > > > ever happened was the decision to do "payroll deductions", so

Please see my previous post on passive vs. active tax payment...

=== message truncated ===

Wow - I didn't know we/I were so long winded... 

Lionel


=====
Lionel

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