Taxes: The Price We Pay For Civilization

"Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society," said legendary Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. As students of Buck v. Bell could tell you, Holmes had a habit of being monstrously wrong, but if he's right about taxes and civilization, it's certainly worth asking whether we're getting what we pay for.

Approximately 1.06 minutes. Written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie.

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[sharinganclan213]

ron paul says that taxes are a disease. the more we get taxed, the less wealth stays for the people and the government gets bigger. i say less taxes for everyone. let the wealth stay in the peoples pockets.

[darklordsma]

Taxation = Extortion

[RustyDaleShackleford]

Government's true Constitutional responsiblities:

1. Build roads, bridges, and railroads.

2. Maintain a military to defend against foreign powers.

3. Defend and enforce the Constitution.

4. Run government offices and courts.

That's ALL! And it doesn't take $15T to do it, either!

[felpaluche]

At least we all had our share of it.

[RodCornholio]

@Skyler827 Yeah, I used to think if we all, somehow, went on a "tax strike" (hard to do for most when most employer's facilitate the gov't) it would kick the gov't in the testicles. I was dead wrong; they would just print/borrow whatever they needed --they already do that.

Until a critical mass, of uncompromising liberty-minded individuals is formed...I say...we're fucked up the arse with no lube.

[Skyler827]

The problem with taxes is that they are more than the IRS forms you fill out. Every dollar the government spends is a dollar taxed, weather they taxed it, borrowed it or created it out of thin air. Their ability to borrow, print and tax money are all a part of this system, and it all goes into spending.

[FRSFreeStatePlus]

I would say Taxes at a reasonable rate that don't overburden are a price to pay to have a responsible and effective Government. That provides the goods and services that can't be provided by the Private Sector.

[johnevanperigoe]

Do you like owning private property? Me too.

Without a functioning democratic state, property rights are just whatever you can enforce using well---force.

Think of taxes as being a built in limit on what you can own that pays for the system that lets you own anything at all.

[ReligionOfNice]

Taxes are the price some people pay for an uncivilized society.