Oddbean new post about login | logout You're saying if I didn't pay taxes I'd be voluntarily funding highway projects 🤔
That's not what I'm saying.... People that DO find it important would pay for it.
The amount of people using ad blockers or pirate sites absolutely contradicts what you just said.
You'll have to explain the contradiction because I don't see it. The digital realm is different.
What if the proposed highway cut down your commute time to work? Would you consider contributing? You're also taking home 20% more income in this scenario as well.
I work from home though. I live in the city. I only drive sometimes. But when I do, it's on a highway. If we self funded highways, in America of all places, they would be privatized, members only offerings. Likely built by corporations and probably only their employees could use for "free". Am I wrong?! America be like that.
So you wouldn't want to pay a voluntary toll to get where you're going faster? You'd rather be forced to pay taxes to pay for the road and get to use it for "free"?
I think where I get stuck is that there is no competition with roads, in a densely populated area. So it would be run by one company. Right? It's ripe for monopolies. It isn't like there would be parallel roads charging tolls by different companies.
That there's no competition for such roads is the status quo, and with gangsterment building them you are forced to pay for them, whether you use them or not, and even if you don't pay direct taxes. They force everyone except gangsterment members to pay for such projects through currency inflation tax, while such members get the vote buying benefit and a cut from your money. Neither is it certain that such roads would not have competition. Look at history of railroads and city trolley companies.
If the toll is voluntary, I don't have to pay it, and never will. Way would anyone pay the toll if it's voluntary? Shall we try an experiment? Go get a job, but tell your boss that paying you is voluntary. I bet you'll have a million employers willing to higher you, that will choose to not pay you. If you're going to say that I can't use the highway unless I pay the toll, well, that's not voluntary then, is it?
It's voluntary because you can choose to not take the road, not that you take the road and choose not to pay.
Oh, ok, so, only rich people get to use the highway. Question. Who pays for the small army you're going to need to protect the rich people using the highway, from the millions of poor people that'll just rob them? For instance, under your system, you do not have enough money to pay for enough protection to stop me and my very large family, from cutting the throats of you and your entire family while you sleep, and take everything you have? Under a user pays system, only the king can afford a castle with turrets and armed guards. Peasants like you, usually die young from malnutrition.
All that is status quo with current and previous gangsterment. Question: who are "the rich"? Where is and who determines the line between "the rich " and "peasants like you"?
> Question: who are "the rich"? Where is and who determines the line between "the rich " and "peasants like you"? Your bank manager.
You acting like this not happening normally in shadows. Our most wealthy guy of my country accidentally died in helicopter..🚁
> You acting like this not happening normally in shadows. Because it's not happening. You're suffering from paranoid delusions. and need professional help.
You're a bit delusional 🗡️But oke... Never mind, it's definitely not happening lulw
Seems like criminals who think about killing others for their own benefit will always be with us. It's kind of interesting that most criminals lead normal lives like you. And as soon as they get the chance to show their true colours the will forget about the morals they spit out while someone else (the state) does the bidding for them. The state is a criminal organisation and so would be your crime family.
id rather be forced to pay existing taxes for those roads so my lazy cheap ass neighbour is as well. Also, while youre at it, STOP FUNDING THE WARS. You could slash taxes by 80% and still build better roads than we have today.
What if your neighbor doesn't pay? You think he should be locked up? You don't want to pay for wars, but your taxes go towards that anyway. If you don't pay you'll be locked up. This is a system of based on coercion under the threat of violence and you support it just so your lazy neighbor helps pay for roads. Lame.
I mean I'm not defending taxes I am questioning the stability of society without things like roads as public goods. It's great to have principles and theories but if you want to actually convince someone that taxes are unnecessary it needs to be a real conversation.
Muh roads!
This is how I feel. I am ok getting taxed but you need to be efficient with my money and also not commit genocide with it. There is a solar panel program in DC that makes it more than cost neutral (we make a profit some months) to install and operate in private homes. It will eventually set DC up to have an incredibly stable electric grid. I understand why some would see this still as government waste but I love it.
You also okay with getting raped? It definitely helps someone meets his needs. Most people I know are not really okay with rape or abuse or extortion. But there is no choice for consent or no. So people tell themselves they are okay. It's a protective mechanism of your psyche. Ones you can feel the energetic quality of theft you will realise that there is no difference between, theft from an individual a gang or a group of neighbours that claim >50% support for robbing you.
Of course, historically roads were also pretty terrible, but iron cart wheels are pretty forgiving of that. I live two hours from an "unincorporated area" where locals repair their own roads. Its all gravel, and rarely travelled roads are more like trails, but it actually works.
Thats great for local roads to get to your family friends who live a few blocks away. What about major roads to the city centre, interstate highways, continental expressways... After im saving this 20% on my income tax, how much of THAT savings would I have to sacrifice to have these roads built when people like my neighbour wouldn't pay their part and use it and benefit from it more than I would? How much of that savings would I have to spend to get these proejcts done despite the ignorance of the sheeple and the ignorant out there. You know its rampant. Is everyone out there similar thinking to the way people in this community for example think? or some other place you have atleast some little respect for? The majority of people out there are far from that standard imo. You would be dirt poor, cursing and hating people more than I am right now lol. Sorry for the intensity, its for impact and an opposing perspective :)