(March 21, 2017 at 11:20 pm)Aroura Wrote: FIFY
Um, I still pay taxes. My money is still being spent. Is this also about where other people's taxes are spent? I guess we discussed it both ways, how taxes as a whole should be spent, and how we would prefer our own personal taxes are spent.
By acting like we are only discussing other people's money, you are completely strawmanning. As if we all don't get a say in a democracy. As if it were selfish to desire everyone to pay a fair share. That is what your strawman incorrectly implies.
Nope, it's still other.
What you're not getting is that, if government only does the things that it absolutely has to (and while there's not perfect agreement on what those things are, there's reasonably broad agreement), then you get to keep more of your own money - and you can do with it as you please, rather than debating about it with other people.
Instead of saying what you'd like done with your tax dollars, you'd simply be saying what you'd like done with your own dollars - and then you could just do it.
Simple example: if government cuts funding for the arts and reduces taxes accordingly, you could give your tax reduction to the arts if you like. Or to scientific research. Or to feed the hungry. Or just blow it on yourself. No need to reach agreement with other people.
The only reason not to prefer such a system is that you don't think people as individuals will give enough to causes you like - in other words, because you want to spend other people's money.
FTR, I'd like to see higher taxes on the rich. I don't have a problem spending other people's money. The difference is that I'm honest about what's actually happening.
