Taxation is a form of slavery.

Modern slavery is a great deal more subtle than it once was. Most of us are not out there tilling the soil with whips at our backs, sure, but we labor for a ruthless master nonetheless.

“A ruthless master?” you inquire. It couldn’t be any other way. Every state in the history of human-kind has formed to serve no other purpose than the exploitation of the vanquished by the victors. Centuries later, long after the victors and vanquished have perished, the means of exploitation remain. They remain, in this case, as the forced appropriation of another’s labor, an activity we euphemistically call “taxation”. If we citizens were to apply the same method, we’d be jailed for extortion.

Philosopher Robert Nozik formulates taxation like this: “taking the earnings of N hours labor is like taking N hours from the person; it is like forcing the person to work N hours for another's purpose”. Thus, he says, taxation is a form of forced labor. I’m inclined to go further. If we were to imagine falling upon a spectrum between freedom and slavery, it seems to me that our condition in this relationship lands closer to one end than the other.

Anyone who laments watching a vast percentage of their earnings disappear each year might feel the force of this. But for those who rely on this exploitation, whether to fund their own survival or to fill the void where their charity might have been, raising taxes and strengthening the means of exploitation are causes worth fighting for. The liberty-minded should refuse to cede any moral ground here because tax-advocates want forced labor, extortion, and exploitation. They advocate for slavery.

a reply to: CitizenZero

Someone oughta slave the hell out of these billionaires.

a reply to: CitizenZero

Income taxes would be the only thing that this would fit. So are the enslavers the Government who takes the taxes from us or are they the people who don't pay taxes and get some of the money that has been taken from us?

Demand

Reparations !!

💥😁💥

Right...so no roads, education, infrastructure, defense, etc? Cmon...I mean waste is one thing, but NO tax at all? Thats just dumb.


You gonna pay the trashman out of your own pocket? You gonna pay for your kids skool by yourself? You gonna fix your own potholes? You gonna pay Bob to to sort out the fool who tried to rob your home?

originally posted by: JIMC5499
a reply to: CitizenZero

Income taxes would be the only thing that this would fit. So are the enslavers the Government who takes the taxes from us or are they the people who don't pay taxes and get some of the money that has been taken from us?

There are plenty of other forms of taxes, such as sales, corporate, inheritance and property taxes. Either way, we are forced to pay them. If we do not pay sales tax, for example, we cannot buy food. The institution that extorts the earnings of human beings is usually the government, but so do criminals.

a reply to: lakenheath24

Seems thats where corpos want it, privatization of everything.

originally posted by: lakenheath24
Right...so no roads, education, infrastructure, defense, etc? Cmon...I mean waste is one thing, but NO tax at all? Thats just dumb.


You gonna pay the trashman out of your own pocket? You gonna pay for your kids skool by yourself? You gonna fix your own potholes? You gonna pay Bob to to sort out the fool who tried to rob your home?

Yes I would much rather voluntarily pay for services I desire than to be robbed of my earnings to pay for services you desire.

a reply to: CitizenZero


Cool. Sounds good...if you are like in a gang or something. But get off my highway. And dont let me catch your kid near a skool or playground.

And you best find your own electric and water source. And dig your own pooper while your at it.

originally posted by: lakenheath24
a reply to: CitizenZero


Cool. Sounds good...if you are like in a gang or something. But get off my highway. And dont let me catch your kid near a skool or playground.

And you best find your own electric and water source. And dig your own pooper while your at it.

Quit exploiting my labor, stealing my earnings, and I’ll consider it.

a reply to: Lysergic

Yup, we are moving to a coporatocracy big time. It may be to late to stop, especially if the Demos pass that Vote for Dems or get canx'd bill.

Can your labor pay for basic services? If so then move off grid. Problem solved. But like I said....stay off my roads.



a reply to: CitizenZero

originally posted by: CitizenZero
Modern slavery is a great deal more subtle than it once was. Most of us are not out there tilling the soil with whips at our backs, sure, but we labor for a ruthless master nonetheless.

“A ruthless master?” you inquire. It couldn’t be any other way. Every state in the history of human-kind has formed to serve no other purpose than the exploitation of the vanquished by the victors. Centuries later, long after the victors and vanquished have perished, the means of exploitation remain. They remain, in this case, as the forced appropriation of another’s labor, an activity we euphemistically call “taxation”. If we citizens were to apply the same method, we’d be jailed for extortion.

Philosopher Robert Nozik formulates taxation like this: “taking the earnings of N hours labor is like taking N hours from the person; it is like forcing the person to work N hours for another's purpose”. Thus, he says, taxation is a form of forced labor. I’m inclined to go further. If we were to imagine falling upon a spectrum between freedom and slavery, it seems to me that our condition in this relationship lands closer to one end than the other.

Anyone who laments watching a vast percentage of their earnings disappear each year might feel the force of this. But for those who rely on this exploitation, whether to fund their own survival or to fill the void where their charity might have been, raising taxes and strengthening the means of exploitation are causes worth fighting for. The liberty-minded should refuse to cede any moral ground here because tax-advocates want forced labor, extortion, and exploitation. They advocate for slavery.

Tax cannot be considered to be a form of slavery as it's returned to you in the form of services such as the police department, and highways.

Actual slaves labored and got nothing in return for it except for the occasional whipping and the toe of their master's boot. They also couldn't choose to live in low slavery jurisdictions, get rebates or deductions on their slavery for business expenses, and the amount of slavery that they experienced wasn't commensurate with how hard they labored.

originally posted by: CitizenZero

originally posted by: lakenheath24
Right...so no roads, education, infrastructure, defense, etc? Cmon...I mean waste is one thing, but NO tax at all? Thats just dumb.


You gonna pay the trashman out of your own pocket? You gonna pay for your kids skool by yourself? You gonna fix your own potholes? You gonna pay Bob to to sort out the fool who tried to rob your home?

Yes I would much rather voluntarily pay for services I desire than to be robbed of my earnings to pay for services you desire.

This is very much an option that you have. You can choose to move to a state with lower taxes, and you can choose not to pay any taxes by ensuring that your income falls below the taxable level. You can also choose to live in one of the many cashless societies and communes around the country where you grow your own food and manage your own powerheatsanitation. If you don't earn an income they can't tax you on it.

I suspect that you enjoy having a well funded school system and good straight roads, and a police force. So maybe you don't want to live off grid after all.

The American system has given you all of the tools that you need. So it's only fair that you give something back to the system. There's a word for people who take, take, take, and it's Socialist.

a reply to: CitizenZero

You dont have to pay taxes. Just don't work.

I have a somewhat different interpretation of the topic. Taxes are fine, but taxpayers should be granted full discretion of budget. If our money is paying for roads then we the people should decide which roads are fixed. If our money is assisting the education system then we the people should decide what those education systems need, particularly if our children are expected to receive benefits. If our money is used to upgrade or maintain the national defense then we should decide what exactly we need protection from and how we are doing it. With taxation comes full fiscal transparency and direct accountability to the republic.

We do. Its called elections. Who is on your local skool board.

a reply to: TzarChasm

originally posted by: AaarghZombies

originally posted by: CitizenZero
Modern slavery is a great deal more subtle than it once was. Most of us are not out there tilling the soil with whips at our backs, sure, but we labor for a ruthless master nonetheless.

“A ruthless master?” you inquire. It couldn’t be any other way. Every state in the history of human-kind has formed to serve no other purpose than the exploitation of the vanquished by the victors. Centuries later, long after the victors and vanquished have perished, the means of exploitation remain. They remain, in this case, as the forced appropriation of another’s labor, an activity we euphemistically call “taxation”. If we citizens were to apply the same method, we’d be jailed for extortion.

Philosopher Robert Nozik formulates taxation like this: “taking the earnings of N hours labor is like taking N hours from the person; it is like forcing the person to work N hours for another's purpose”. Thus, he says, taxation is a form of forced labor. I’m inclined to go further. If we were to imagine falling upon a spectrum between freedom and slavery, it seems to me that our condition in this relationship lands closer to one end than the other.

Anyone who laments watching a vast percentage of their earnings disappear each year might feel the force of this. But for those who rely on this exploitation, whether to fund their own survival or to fill the void where their charity might have been, raising taxes and strengthening the means of exploitation are causes worth fighting for. The liberty-minded should refuse to cede any moral ground here because tax-advocates want forced labor, extortion, and exploitation. They advocate for slavery.

Tax cannot be considered to be a form of slavery as it's returned to you in the form of services such as the police department, and highways.

Actual slaves labored and got nothing in return for it except for the occasional whipping and the toe of their master's boot. They also couldn't choose to live in low slavery jurisdictions, get rebates or deductions on their slavery for business expenses, and the amount of slavery that they experienced wasn't commensurate with how hard they labored.

Slaves were given food and lodging. It was a common argument of anti-abolitionists that slaves in the US had better conditions than the poor in Europe.

a reply to: TzarChasm

I can appreciate that. Tax advocates like to pretend their money goes to services and roads, but never mention it also funds bombs. Letting the tax-payer know what his money goes to would be a good start in the right direction.

a reply to: AaarghZombies

A slave told by his master that he may move to another plantation, can choose between one form of labor or another, would not be any less a slave. The basic point remains: one is forced to labor for another’s needs against his will. You might be happy with your condition and the benefits it has provided you—some slaves preferred their condition—but it is no more moral to force others to work for your benefit because you enjoy the outcomes.