<a tax on animals? Gimme a break.>
Governments don't seem to have an upper bound with respect to tax and spend. Any tax is a good tax, there's no programme, or good work, that should be left undone. It's a matter of public attitude; most people like alpha males, governments, rules, uniforms, marching and music, crowds, sense of belonging and a pecking order, just like the chimpoids they are.
Even in the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave, people are familiar with taxation, rules, obedience and lack of freedom, in a big way. There was a coronation just the other day of the alpha male, with acolytes and courtiers swarming around, hoping for crumbs from the King's table.
Hence all the emphasis on Freedom, Liberty etc in the King's coronation speech - there really isn't much freedom, so a big deal is made of the freedom there is, and comparison with seriously nasty unfree places is made. Note that the King is not proposing to adopt Liberatarian philosophy, which he would do if there was any serious intention to get tangled up with freedom.
I wonder if his ranting about Freedom isn't more to do with his own sense of lack of it and a personal desire for freedom, an elusive butterfly, which he would like, but is unable to attain because of his internal contradictions.
He was behind bullet-proof 3 inch thick transparent blast walls, caged in bomb and bullet-proof armoured limousines, protected by row upon row upon row of heavily armed snipers, soldiers, police, armoured vehicles and aircraft. He is free to roam around his farm and that's about it. He can't mingle with the crowd at Mt Maunganui beach and frolic in the freedom wave functions.
Mqurice |
