I'll preface this by saying, that as an Objectivist ( the philosophy of Ayn Rand ), I'm against all taxation. I consider it a form of slavery. I advocate voluntary government, not supported by slavery, and I think that the 16th Amendment repealed the 13th. ( Read them for yourself and see what I mean! ) I see a switch to voluntary government as the only possible way that we'll ever end forced-collectivist government and get government under the control of the People again - by forcing government to run solely on voluntary contributions.
That way, the People would control the government again, government wouldn't be able to take as much of your life and property as they please, and government might be reduced to just the essential things that our founders intended, which might be 10-20% of what it does now! Most people would voluntarily support real national defense - not global adventurism - , police, sheriffs, highways, courts, schools - all the things that we really deem it necessary for the government to do! Just not the other 80-90% that is arbitrary and frivolous, that government has grown to do in the last century since Progressive Socialism took over.
But that being said, I realize I'm in a tiny minority with this, and will likely never see it happen in my lifetime, at least until sometime after the Collapse, if we don't sink into a dark age of tyranny, and if human freedom is ever realized again after that. ( Read Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", if you haven't yet, and her novella "Anthem" as the sequel and possible aftermath of the "Collapse".)
But as far as realistic tax reform, the best tax reform plan that I've heard so far, came from a Libertarian doctor in Colorado Springs. This must have been 15 years ago, but it's still the best I've heard.
He said to get rid of all other taxes and just have a sales tax on everything. It could be a national sales tax, to support the federal government, a state sales tax to support the state government, and a local sales tax to support the city.
Very simple, and everyone would have skin in the game. It might total 18% on everything we'd buy, but no one could avoid it. It would also take the tax burdens off of all businesses, from small business to corporations, which would mean staggering job growth! Just imagine businesses not having to deal with all the tax accounting and massive tax burdens that they have now! It would produce hiring big time! And the inconvenient reality now, is that businesses don't pay taxes anyway, it gets passed on to their customers as dishonest covert additional taxes! Truth!
But it's the opposite of the Marxist tenet; "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.", or the massive redistribution of wealth that Obama and his Progressive Socialists have heaped upon this nation, so they would never ever go for it!
The only way it can ever happen is if the American people would wake up and sweep them out of the way, then just do it!
Comment
Comment by Ed Stoneham on March 30, 2013 at 1:08pm Joseph: Haha. I am a product of much practical experience on this planet. I've seen too much to be naive. Politicians are like parasites. They'll worm their way in, and it is extremely difficult to get them back out. They are more prone to criminal behavior than the rest of us, and they seek high places for their own protection.
Consider Obama. He has been spending many millions of dollars, worth many human lives by insurance estimates, on vacations for himself and his family. But, how much is the salary that has been authorized for the President? Where in the Constitution is the President granted the power to increase his salary beyond what was authorized by Congress? And what politician is doing anything about it?
You can't count on government to discipline itself. That discipline has to come from the citizens.
Now, consider the cycle of history. From revolution to freedom to apathy to bondage to revolution again. Is the United States an exception? All signs point to "no." Revolution is coming. The only question is when. If Obamacare is analogous to the Stamp Act, then the violence will begin right around the year 2020.
This time around it would be nice to generate a more permanent fix. My effort has been to come up with a new constitution that will implement that fix. Plan ahead, I say. Or, as the Scouts say, "Be prepared."
Ed: What planet did you come from?
Comment by Ed Stoneham on March 29, 2013 at 2:22am That's what the Founders thought. It worked for a hundred years, but one way or another those parasites interested in government figure out a way to currupt the system, and they keep at it until there is a bloody revolution. The only way to make limited government last is to institutionalize continual revolution by the citizens. Making the firing of the least supportive officials mandatory and allowing citizens to initiate the firings of government officials on the grounds of these officials' less-than-full-hearted support of the constitution is a peaceful way to bring about continual revolution. It also has to be legal for citizens to execute judges who blatantly disobey the constitution. This guarantees that revolution will be effective but limited. Over time the government will remain obedient, and the number of people needlessly dying in revolutionary fights to preserve freedom will be a tiny fraction of what they have historically been.
I estimate that the coming revolution will end only after 6 million people have been killed. It would be nice to avoid that.
Ed: If you read what I proposed, and contemplate the wide range of effects it would have on the federal government, you will understand that all those concerns you have ARE ADDRESSED and will be eleminated or diminished severely. Remember, it's the money that gives the federal government the POWER, not the authority, so by having the states impose monetary restrictions througth their senate appointees, they defang the federal government. That includes all their departments also. All those you mentioned. Okay?
Comment by Ed Stoneham on March 27, 2013 at 3:32am I agree with the repeal of the 16th and 17th amendments. To overcome Joseph's objection about corrupt politicians, though, I also am in favor of a major overhaul of the Constitution that would make it illegal, under the death penalty, for any federal government official to engage in any activities beyond internal justice and national defense. No federal welfare, no EPA, no Post Office, no Dep't of Education, no Dep't of Energy, no FCC, FDA, Social Security, etc. All except justice and defense must be devolved to the states and to the people. The new constitution would also require that Congress expel at least 5 federal officers every year for not doing as well as others to uphold their oaths to support and defend the constitution. We need to get the impeachment and expulsion wheels into well-greased condition. The officers at risk will include all legislators, the President and Vice President and their cabinet, and all federal judges and Supreme Court justices. Failure of Congress to carry out these expulsions will result in a shortening of all officers' terms to one year with none allowed to hold federal office again.
The new constitution would also allow citizen's grand juries to bind the courts into hearing and acting on citizen's grand jury indictments of government officials and would require that all court actions be completed and all sentences be carried out within six months of an indictment. Any judge violating these limitations is to be removed from office immediately. Any refusing to be removed under these rules may be executed by any citizen, and that citizen will be immune from penalty for such execution.
Comment by Clint Counts on March 23, 2013 at 11:50am How the 17th Amendment Has Stolen Your Freedom
Repeal of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments
We consider the federal income tax to be destructive of our liberty, privacy, and prosperity. Therefore, we are working to bring about its complete elimination and the repeal of the Sixteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. We recommend that the current system be replaced by an equitable, simple, noninvasive, visible, efficient tax, one that does not destroy or even infringe upon our economic privacy and liberty.
We also call for the repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment. Its enactment greatly reduced the power of our state legislatures and state governments – which are much closer to the people – and damaged our system of federalism.
Comment by Clint Counts on March 23, 2013 at 11:43am We must first repeal the 16th and 17 amendments to make it work !
Ed: The problem with your vision of government is that you do not address the the fact that the representatives are corrupt and have the power/authority to over rule the voting public.
Even the judiciaries are in bed with the elected representatives so any legal challeges will fall fruitless. No, the solution is to dilute the powers of the representatives by placing control of the taxes with the states and rid ourselves of career senators. Allowing the voters to adjust tax rates is like having the passengers of the Titanic to decide at what speed they should collide with the iceberg.
Comment by Ed Stoneham on March 21, 2013 at 6:35pm Actually, we don't have to add any elections. We have federal, state, and local elections already. All we have to do is add four items to the ballot to be voted on.
We have a republic. A republic allows majority control of those matters that affect us all equally. It avoids the viscissitudes of a democracy, in which the majority also controls matters in which one special interest benefits at the expense of others. Allowing voters to adjust the one rate at which everyone should be taxed leverages the strength of the republican form of government.
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