Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

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

To: JohnM who wrote (11335)	2/8/2006 10:58:24 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541663

But if power were the only thing, then taxes would be next to impossible to collect. Which would amount to reduced power to collect taxes. The perception that the government has a right to collect taxes does increase its power in this situation, but it is a 2nd order factor not a direct factor. Governments can exist without a widespread belief that it is their right to collect taxes. Many people who don't believe it is the governments right to do so will pay anyway to avoid negative consequences or because they support at least some government programs and realize they have to be funded from some source. Also many people don't really have any abstract beliefs in this area, they don't think about the subject philosophically at all. I would submit that even in the US today you don't have a majority that clearly thinks it is the governments right to collect taxes. Your might have a plurality. I'm not sure, but if you add up the people with the belief that it is not the governments right to collect taxes, and those who have no belief in this area and those with muddled beliefs you would have a majority and probably a decent sized one. The much larger component is the willingness of citizens to pay taxes and thus the degree to which, at some level, they consider the government a legitimate one. The belief that the government doesn't have a right to collect taxes does not equate with the belief that the government is illegitimate. For example one could feel that the government has no rights to collect taxes but could think the government is legitimate and that it should be supported. Someone with this belief would be likely to pay taxes at least if they are not to burdensome, esp. if not paying taxes is risky.