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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JohnM who wrote (6291)	12/7/2005 11:09:08 AM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 542148

As long as you mentioned my name... <g> And that's the short list. I could go on. You are listing government services of which you approve and for which you are content, even happy, to pay. As long as government sticks to its fundamental mission, I doubt that Tim would object, either. But if you are being taxed for things that you thoroughly disapprove, that brings on a different perspective. I can't imagine how "extortion" as I understand that word would apply, but "duress" might. If you think that government is doing all sorts of things it shouldn't and you are forced to pay for them, I can understand that person experiencing a sense of duress, thus a sense of separation from the instrument of that duress. Folks who never met a government program they didn't like might not easily understand that reaction.

To: JohnM who wrote (6291)	12/8/2005 11:59:55 AM
From: TimF	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 542148

If someone takes money from you by force or threat of force than I think it is properly considered extortion. I think that is the definition of the word. I think that holds true even if they put the money to good use, and even if you would have given over the money had you had a choice. Property taxes paid for that. I certainly don't experience that as "extortion." If by that you mean that you don't have the visceral, emotional reaction you would to most cases of extortion than I would say that I don't experience it as extortion either. But I don't think such a reaction or experience is necessary for something to be extortion. And of course tax money goes to all sorts of less beneficial things as well. I hesitate to mention it because it really isn't very relevant to my argument. Even if it all was efficiently spent on great things, in your local community, that you would be happy to support if you had a choice; I still say its extortion if you don't have a choice. But I think some balance needs to be put in to the list of government activities. Its not just local money on important things. Its also federal taxes for "bridges to nowhere". Tim