Peaceful Revolution? What if 5%+ stop paying taxes next year?

Is it possible to have a peaceful revolution in America? I've been thinking lately, that if enough people stopped paying taxes, the Federal Government would disintegrate. I don't think the IRS, court system, police, etc.. could deal with 15 million or more Americans getting audited. To think otherwise is absurd.

We've got a full year to accomplish this feat. I've been hearing of new taxes about to be implemented. I'm thinking it's not long before the average person becomes seriously ticked off. We don't want to fight our federal government, but they're giving us little choice. The only rational decision, is to deny their system entirely. Stop paying taxes, and the system dissolves.

Isn't this a reasonable possibility, for a year from now? Is this too idealistic, or should we start expanding these thoughts now?



[edit on 20-4-2009 by unityemissions]

I don't think 6.4 Million people are going to willingly give up their entire lives for such a fantasy as making the government collapse. You realize its not just taxes in sense of what is taken out of your paycheck right? You would not be able to purchase a single thing, not gasoline, not food at the grocery store, not a CD to listen to. You also would have to give up any land owned because taxes are usually required on land owned. Somehow I don't see creating 6.4 million homeless jobless people as a good thing.

I would say your percentage is not far off. The last stats I saw of people losing their jobs was around 3 million. I would say it's a safe bet that at least another three million jobs will be lost by next year (probably double that). So there you go, 6.4 million people won't be paying their taxes next year whether the intended on it or not!

Wouldn't work. The asset forfeiture laws on the books allow the IRS to effectively confiscate anything you own, without a warrant, purely under speculation with cause of tax evasion. If 15 million tax payers volutarily refused to pay tax next year, that would be 15 million people watching as the feds seized their homes, vehicles, accounts, property, and wages.

Unconstitutional as hell, but perfectly "legal" under our set of tax laws which, themselves, are completely unconstitutional.

I see the prison population growing if this is attempted. Wish it was so easily done. One way or another they will get what they want from you.

Wow, the posts' in reply are, downright depressing.

But nonetheless they are true, very true......

It certainly would be interesting if someone could appeal to the top five percent, and somehow convince them to only "accept" compensation of roughly $200,000.

Maybe they could "defer" their income, and this Congress and President would be left sucking hind tit.

No money, no programs.

In such a manner, those who are unfairly paying the bulk of taxes would let the parasites know that they've had quite enough.

Fair tax or flat rate.

Everybody lives, everybody eats, everybody pays. The same rate.

Originally posted by burdman30ott6
Wouldn't work. The asset forfeiture laws on the books allow the IRS to effectively confiscate anything you own, without a warrant, purely under speculation with cause of tax evasion. If 15 million tax payers volutarily refused to pay tax next year, that would be 15 million people watching as the feds seized their homes, vehicles, accounts, property, and wages.

Unconstitutional as hell, but perfectly "legal" under our set of tax laws which, themselves, are completely unconstitutional.

Do you really think it's feasible for the Feds to seize 15 million Americans possessions? I'd think before that happened there would be violent revolution.

What I'm really trying to do is get an understanding of the economics side of this. The govt relies on taxpayers dollars, but also borrows it's way out of starvation. Could we take responsibility for our government by starving it, or would they find a way to keep it going?

reply to post by dooper


Even that wouldn't work. Any salary they leave on the table would go into someone's pocket... and be taxed. Deferred compensation's tax exemption is limited to (I believe) $225,000 a year... so anything over that would be taxed regardless.

Furthermore, as our government demonstrated with their little 90% tax rate stunt on the bank bonus recipients, it does not take very long for a new law to be pulled from the congressional buttocks and applied, effectively screwing anyone who tries such an end around.

Originally posted by unityemissions
Do you really think it's feasible for the Feds to seize 15 million Americans possessions? I'd think before that happened there would be violent revolution.

I'd think that long before we watched trillions of our dollars and our children's dollars being siphoned off in public view to bankers, auto companies, and special interest fringe projects we'd have seen a violent revolution. Would there be some violence? Sure... but as this country has proven time and again, in the broadest sense, we refuse to get off our asses unless it directly affects us on a personal level.

Many will start cleaning and loading their guns when the feds come for their neighbors and their neighbors' property... but wouldn't consider firing shots until the feds step onto their property with bad intentions.

Not saying it is right, just saying it is the way things are.

Originally posted by Helig
I don't think 6.4 Million people are going to willingly give up their entire lives for such a fantasy as making the government collapse. You realize its not just taxes in sense of what is taken out of your paycheck right? You would not be able to purchase a single thing, not gasoline, not food at the grocery store, not a CD to listen to. You also would have to give up any land owned because taxes are usually required on land owned. Somehow I don't see creating 6.4 million homeless jobless people as a good thing.

I don't think this is accurate. Surely, if there's no legal currency setup, a black market will be on the spot! Bartering will be the norm. I'm in Texas, so we'd just declare ourself the Nation of Texas and start printing currency, hopefully backed by oil, gold...something!! Why couldn't all states declare their independence, or recombine as they see fit? If the federal government collapses, it'll be ass-backwards for a while, but it's not the end of the world.

As for taxes on land, isn't that a state issue? I'm still young, so excuse my naivety.

reply to post by burdman30ott6


You may be correct. Some days I get a glimmer of hope, then see it may just be an illusion.

While I know I can't control others, I do think we're all influencing each other. It just seems like a defeatist attitude to say that because things have been like this, they will continue to be. It seems like faulty logic, coming from smart people! Is this a deep truth to accept, or a denial of the unlimited possibilities of man? Part of me agrees with you, it's a bit insane to think real change can happen, but intuitively it seems an inevitable outcome.

reply to post by unityemissions


In the beginning there wont be a collapse so the group refusing to contribute any funds via taxation will have to make do with whatever they can beg, borrow or steal basically because any spending of cash will in one way or another find its way right back into the system via taxes in one form or another. As for a state pulling out of the union (which generally is a bad idea for said state) unless the bulk of their population was the dissenting group it would just wind up punishing those who were not part of the group to break away from the union. Chances are the distribution of those who could pull this off would be in far too many different states to establish a majority in any location and thus their state would have little reason to break off in order to print a localized currency (which in all likelihood would not be recognized by the US Government).

I haven't payed taxes since I was eight-teen years old.

You shouldn't be paying taxes either.

I won't pay taxes until there is a system of social circulation in which money is created with out interest and invested into industry and services for the benefit of all. Money is still circulated naturally so that capitalism, though not consumerism, is still possible.

We need to advocate more non-violent protest such as not paying taxes.

The day we arm chair revolutionaries switch from posting on the internet to firing the 9mm we've been polishing is the day the Federal Reserve creates more "Patriot" acts and the military has its justification for ordering its soldiers to fire on its own citizens.

reply to post by srsly_you_guys


What makes you think I'm paying taxes?

I've paid into the system a few times but haven't had a job in years now.

I'm right there with you. Until the government is for the people, I'm not giving them a dime!

If this were to happen those fema death camps would sure fill up fast. Just Kidding, there is no such thing as fema death camps.

Legal taxes on the money you spend, such as any one of the hundred (gasoline tax, property tax, provincial or state sales tax, luxury tax, excise tax, etc etc etc) are what build infrastructure and fund services.

Your income tax, which is illegal, is absorbed in its entirety by the debt created on the money supply. Not one dollar goes to anything that helps your life.

Your SSN is how the government uses you and the rest of the population to float loans with the IMF through the Federal Reserve.


Why anyone thinks paying a private corporation a 3rd of the nations income is right is completely beyond me.