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Practical option for going on strike

Posted by lookdad 9 years, 2 months ago to Economics
68 comments | Share | Best of... | Flag

We've all talked about what it would be like to go on strike, or what a true Galt's Gulch would look like. Here's an idea from an email conversation with some friends of mine:

"If there was a national tax revolt, we might tie [the Fed's] hands. They can plan until the cows come home, but if taxpayers said, "NO!" with our cash instead of our mouths and stopped paying taxes, most everything would grind to a halt - and not just [the specific gov atrocity we were talking about]. Huge shutdown. There would be panic among the government to get things rolling again. At that point the people have leverage. But that would require a unified opposition. We better not hold our breath on that one."

That led me to think: are there other ways that we can greatly reduce tax revenue (even if they raised taxes) within the current code?

• Is there a way for everyone to file tax extensions indefinitely without actually paying money? Technically, we'd "agree that we owe" XX amount of money, but give them a note of debt and keep the cash set aside in our bank accounts.

• Can we create an underground economy, where bartering is the only accepted currency? Obviously gold was used in the gulch, but technically gold is just an acceptable standard... If I trade my eggs for someone else's milk, then no sales tax is applicable. AND, if almost everything I "buy" is from bartering, I can lower my income drastically and give the IRS less.

• Or do you think we could actually get a nationwide tax strike off the ground?


All Comments

  • Posted by gafisher 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I *guarantee* we'll never change the tax structure until we vote in legislators willing to change it. (I wouldn't trust Huckabee, though.)
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  • Posted by DeanStriker 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Morality101.net most certainly exists -- I just recheck the link in your comment, and it works. It's /blog/ section is also there, but all has been copied into no-ruler.net already, and the root web stuff will be next. Then I will be closing that entire domain, but it'll take time -- perhaps considerable!

    Beyond that, there are numerous other of Marcy's videos on the same case, which I have linked in the past but somehow they are no longer valid links. Back in those days I had not yet learned about "embed". Marcy is a web-friend, and I will contact her and see if she still has those so I can reconstruct.

    Meanwhile, her videos are the direct result of her being a juror on that case, so that could in itself could be found. Otherwise, it's folly to try to prove a "nothing"!

    I have not filed a 1040 in for about 25 years now, without repercussion. It didn't begin as resistance, but it was back at a time when I couldn't afford the accountant, much less to pay taxes! However, it has long since been a part of my actions toward getting rid of government.

    Consider the "fear" of yourself along with the vast majority of American slaves!
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  • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Actually, I followed both of the links, and some of the subsequent links, but morality101.net no longer exists, and the others seem to be opinion posts with uncited facts on the same blog. If I'm going to not file because I'm under the stance that I'm not breaking the law, I'd prefer to have solid reasons. I'd love for it to be true, but if I can't back it up, I can't assume it to be true.

    I watched the video, and it definitely piques my interest. I'll try to watch the full documentary - but so far it doesn't show me that there truly is no law requiring us to file taxes. But - again - I will do more research, because if this is true then that is a banner I'll be waving.
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  • Posted by Kittyhawk 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Great! I appreciate Corbett's philosophy of "open source news," which means he will always give you links to his references for what he says or writes, and he'll encourage you to research on your own.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I think you're on the wrong thread... Though, while you're here - I disagree with you. I believe in God, and I believe I have just as much thinking capacity as anyone. I think it takes just as much faith to be an atheist as it does to be a theist. I know I might be in the minority on an Ayn Rand forum, but since it's a forum that encourages objectivist logic, I figure I don't need to keep silent. :)

    However, as far as using the argument "everything that God made is good" politically, I think he's shooting himself in the foot. I think there are plenty of arguments for the legalization of marijuana using logic that everyone agrees on. (I don't make it a practice to use the Bible to debate with atheists, because that would be akin to someone using a Harry Potter book to convince me there's truly a Hogwarts.)
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  • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    True - I already do that - but it would need to be on a much bigger scale to affect tax revenue.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    It would indeed - but that money would quickly become worthless. I guess if this were to happen, those involved in the strike would need to preemptively move their money into truly valuable resources. I'm not even speaking of gold or silver - you can't eat those, and I wouldn't trade food for those in the event of a crash. I'm speaking of physical goods (food, livestock, knowledge/skills, land, etc).
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  • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I've loved the Fair Tax ever since I heard Huckabee mention it in 2008 and looked into it further. I don't think we'll ever change the tax structure through voting, though.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Do you have any CPA sources saying this is legal? I do understand that we have a right against reasonable search and seizure, but it seems to me that if employers or clients file 1099s or W2s for me, then the IRS would consider it reasonable to search.
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  • Posted by $ blarman 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I've long advocated a bill that would require the elimination of any withholding-based taxes. When people individually have to look at their paycheck and feel the pain of sending away 1/3 or more of their money every two weeks to the government, they'll petition to change things. The devious problem with withholding is that because you never see the money in the first place, your brain doesn't take ownership of it and as a result you never feel the real pain of parting with it.
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  • Posted by $ blarman 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    They are so drunk with their own power and there is noone in Congress with enough spine to do anything, I fear that we have passed the point of no return. I fear that the only way to return to sanity is through a complete meltdown and rebirth of the economy. And that's pretty terrifying because it would cause a global meltdown as well.
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  • Posted by $ Maree 9 years, 2 months ago
    I will have been in strike 8 years next month. I now merely work an office job on the lowest pay band.
    So my investments are also paying tax at that band.
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  • Posted by DeanStriker 9 years, 2 months ago
    Tax Resistance going on for some years. The way for most is simply DON'T file that 1040. "There IS NO Law"! Signing that 1040 gives the goons an open doorway right thru the 4th Amendment. I've not filed for about 25 years, no problem.

    Perhaps start with this: http://no-ruler.net/3413/no-1040-starvin...

    Then if you really want to dig into it, there's have much to chose from:
    http://no-ruler.net/?s=Tax+strike%22

    Repeat... don't file that 1040. Don't even THINK of tax "evasion" by filing anything false.

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  • Posted by H6163741 9 years, 2 months ago
    I think this the probably the only way left to save the U.S. before it goes communist. But how do you get enough people to go along with it to make a difference? (And not get thrown in jail...). Or a ridiculously easy option: What if we all renounced our citizenships and came back as illegal aliens?
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  • Posted by gafisher 9 years, 2 months ago
    Study the Fair Tax - http://www.FairTax.org - a very well thought-out national retail consumption tax which replaces the federal income tax (and several others) and which begins by repealing the 16th Amendment (the one which overruled the U.S. Constitution's prohibition against exactly such taxes). There's a huge disinformation campaign to discredit the Fair Tax; don't judge the Fair Tax until you've read _at least_ the information on the website.
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  • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 2 months ago
    under-withholding is one thing which I have practiced
    for decades. . the tea party movement is probably
    the starting point for a tax revolt, don't you think? -- j

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  • Posted by NealS 9 years, 2 months ago
    I like your ideas, the last an underground economy the best. If someone doesn't have something to trade, then trade services or products for cash. Sell nothing, trade everything. How would we protect our assets from a government gone wild, bury them in the backyard?
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  • Posted by ChuckyBob 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Better yet, eliminate all taxes except a consumption tax. Right now if you add up ALL the taxes we pay it comes up to an average of about 45%, counting all the taxes that are buried in the cost of goods. Eliminate the hidden tax and the direct cost of good will decrease. So that candy bar that now costs $0.79 at WallyWorld drops to about $0.65. HOWEVER, at the point of sale you get charged an additional $0.30, to make the total come to $0.95. If all taxes were overt and not hidden a tax revolt would be a lot easier to start.
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  • Posted by ChuckyBob 9 years, 2 months ago
    OK, here's what I have been doing for the last few years: I have substantial investments, well above the average. Not that I am a super investing guru, I just jumped in when everyone had run for the exits. I also sold a house in CA in 2007 after owning it for 7 years, and then another just last year after owning it for just over 2 years. Therefore, I have taken the cap gain exemption on the houses...non-taxed income. I own my current home free and clear. I have a rental that gives me positive cash flow, but a paper loss due to depreciation. I have also been "on strike" for four years. Since I have reduced my need for money to survive, I only pull out of the investments what I need to buy food, utilities, property tax, etc. If I make money in the account, I do it as tax efficient as possible. The bottom line is that I can pull enough out to survive and still pay little, if any income tax. Starve the beast by being tax efficient in your income.
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  • Posted by Kilroy 9 years, 2 months ago
    How to strike:
    I think the first thing to is get organized, then decide on a day to stay away from work and do it. If that doesn't work, stay away for a week. This won't work unless a very large number of people do it of course.

    How to withhold taxes:
    Go to your employer HR person and increase your exemptions to 10 or 20.

    Just a couple of thoughts
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  • Posted by sumitch 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    If I remember correctly the IRS is the one that got Al Capone, who died in prison, albeit from syphilis.

    Which opens a whole new thread.
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