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"In a fully free society, taxation - or, to be exact, payment for governmental services - would be voluntary." - Ayn Rand

Posted by GaltsGulch 9 years, 5 months ago to The Gulch: General
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"In a fully free society, taxation - or, to be exact, payment for governmental services - would be voluntary. Since the proper services of a government - the police, the armed forces, the law courts - are demonstrably needed by individual citizens and affect their interests directly, the citizens would (and should) be willing to pay for such services, as they pay for insurance." - Ayn Rand


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  • Posted by pdohara 9 years, 5 months ago
    Obviously I generally agree, but I am concerned about those who wish to benefit from others work/payment. Recently here in Wisconsin we pass a right to work law that says that employees of a company cannot be required to pay union dues. Though I agree with this in principal, from a practical point of view this obviously means that some group of employees will benefit from the work the union is doing while not participating (through union dues) in that work. An example that comes to mind for governments is roads. We can make them toll roads, which I would prefer to avoid or some citizens can choose to pay for the roads, but wont some citizen choose not to pay and use the roads anyway? I think this requires ethical citizens.
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  • Posted by XenokRoy 9 years, 5 months ago
    When I first saw this I loved the concept. Then you start to think through some of what it means.

    You pay for the services of firemen and you neighbor does not. His house catches on fire and the fire services come out and hose your house down to keep it from catching on fire, and let his burn. If a society is not willing to do this, then the system of voluntary payment for services would not work.

    This is but one example but there are many that could be used. While I like the concept in practice it does not work so well unless society is willing to allow the full ramification of choices land in the face of those who make poor ones.

    I am not sure I could sit by and watch my neighbors house burn in the example above, and I am not certain I would want to live in a society that could do so. Lots of pro's and con's to it.

    If it can be done (IE charge for the service like a company would). It should not be a government service as it can follow the model of private business and should be privately held and done for profit. .

    As
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  • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 5 months ago
    Trading a limited amount of personal freedom voluntarily in order to gain either more feedoms or improved freedoms is one things. police, military, fire fighters, to some degree courts and attorneys (now declared moot and not needed by the current patriot act.} can be voluntary in two ways. One is I feel like giving a nickel even though an exact division of costs wold be $5.00.

    the second is I agree to split the costs as listed equally with all the others There ten The Cost is $50 we each pay Five. Not a penny more nor a penny less.

    Part two is remember government is a service and therefore government employees are servants and all employees need to be monitored. That is a responsibility that goes along with the particular right be serviced.

    It cannot be delegated.
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