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  • From: Jim Cook <james_cook AT mindspring.com>
  • To: "Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/" <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [internetworkers] The Local Gov't Fair Competition Act.
  • Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:03:16 -0400



Phillip Rhodes wrote:
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Tanner Lovelace wrote:
On 7/14/07, Phillip Rhodes <mindcrime AT cpphacker.co.uk> wrote:
Most of the people in local government that I've known have roughly
the technical sophistication of a head of cabbage, and wouldn't know
a wireless network from a bowling ball.
And that differs from the people in the state and federal government
how, pray tell?

Not at all, as far as I can tell. But I can't speak from
experience about the folks at those levels as much as I can
the local level.
What?!? Stop the presses! Phillip advocates more government
at a higher level! Who are you, and what have you do with
our libertarian friend? :-)

To the extent that I believe in any government beyond
self-government, I see the only valid purpose of any
level of government as protecting the rights of
individuals.
This is the part that gets me. I see this whole thing as government acting to protect the rights of BUSINESSES rather than individuals. To the extent that "we the people" is true, then local governments are "the individuals" whose rights should be protected. Yea, the local government can screw it up, but then so can businesses.

...snip...

please don't come
back with the arguments that taxes are immoral.

I should be clear, I think *involuntary* taxation is immoral, because
of the implied initiation of force (eg, you don't pay your taxes, you go
to jail) and because it denies my fundamental right to own my own
property and keep the fruits of my labor.

In the context of a voluntary, non-profit communal system, like
the ones I've spoken of before, you could consider the money paid
into the system to be a "voluntary tax." I have no problem with
that whatsoever.
But can't all taxes in America be viewed as *voluntary*? (Granted, some, like the NC EDUCATION Lottery are more so than others...) People have the freedom to live here, there, in the country or not. Isn't abiding by the rules part of the voluntary price you pay to live here?



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