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Squilliam on 25 July 2009
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HappySqurriel said:
ManusJustus said:

We aren't talking about time, we are talking about money.  The government doesnt tax you based on how much time you put into something.

So, are you are saying is that people who are poor should pay less taxes because they cant afford it?

 

No one is arguing that the poor should pay the same ammount of tax as the rich because (honestly) that isn't really possible. What people are saying is that the government should treat all people fairly, and everyone should pay the same tax rate. If a person makes 20 times as much money another person they should pay 20 times the ammount of cash ...

You may say that 20% of $50,000 is a greater burden than 20% of $1,000,000 and you're correct, but the benefit the government provides the person earning $50,000 is also far greater than the benefit the government is providing the person who earns $1,000,000 so it balances out.

Actually in both relative and absolute terms the person earning $1,000,000 benefits more than the person who earns $50,000.

The government protects property rights, I.P., security etc and provides the stability for large scale industry to thrive in a country. Without the existance of the government its likely that the person earning $50k could earn no more than $5k and the person earning 1000k could earn no more than $10k.

The only way someone is able to earn and retain a $1M income is due to protection of I.P., property rights, security (police etc), the enforcement of contracts etc. The most libertarian countries in the world are also the poorest because they have governments too weak to function.

So who should pay more for the upkeep of the police force? Someone who has more to steal?

So who should pay for the court system? Someone who has property of value to protect? Contracts to enforce?

So who should pay for the hospitals? Someone who benefits from a healthy society more than poorer individuals?

So who should pay for the schools? The people who benefit the most from an educated and able workforce?

 

 

 



Tease.