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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 18:08:41 -0400


Phillip Rhodes wrote:
On 7/16/07, *Jim Cook* <james_cook AT mindspring.com <mailto:james_cook AT mindspring.com>> wrote:


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?


I don't accept that personally. And that's because I don't see "the state" as
having any intrinsic authority or even existence. If I own some land, say in, oh, North Carolina,
I believe that I - as a sovereign individual - should be able to live there, and do what I want
as long as I don't harm anyone else or violate their rights. And I believe I should be
able to enter into any mutually consensual contract or agreement with my neighbors
that I want as long as I don't use force or fraud to initiate or coerce anything.
Well yes, but ... do you think that as a "sovereign individual" you could live in North Carolina and not partake/accept/benefit from ANYTHING our local/state/federal government provides?
And when you write "their rights," how would you define "rights" if not for the state?
And if myself and 10 of my neighbors are doing our own thing and not hurting anybody,
why should 299,999,990 other folks be able to say "You live in our Country so you
have to obey these rules and pay these taxes?" In other words, I consider "The State"
to be an artificial construct, which is necessarily inferior to the Individual.
Isn't "the state" an artificial construct designed to facilitate a civil society? As such, doesn't it become the sum of the parts which are "we the people"?

And if so, then which is inferior, your obligations to "the state" or your right to do your thing?

Part of living in a civilized society is an obligation to work for the "greater good." Here and in many other countries, that obligation is fulfilled (partially and often poorly) by a distribution of wealth via taxes. What I mean by voluntary is that those who feel there is no obligation to society at large, or that there is a better/different way to accomplish that are free to 1) find such a country, or 2) accept it as it is while working for change.

TTFN,

-Jim





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