Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 03:30:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jamal Hannah <jah-AT-iww.org>
Subject: Capitalists and Taxes


On Thu, 16 Aug 2001, res02iqa-AT-gte.net wrote:

> On 15 Aug 01, at 23:52, Chuck Munson wrote:
> [ ... ]
> > to do anything about it if it doesn't affect them
> > personally, would be completely and totally
> > outraged if they knew what these institutions are
> > actually doing with U.S. tax dollars, and would
> > call for an immediate stop to it. I submit that
> > when you know the details, saying that these
> > institutions "support privatization" dramatically
> > understates the case of how evil they are. And if
> [ ... ]
> > End of rant. Thanks for listening.
> >
> > -Robert Naiman
> 
> That's the ticket. That kind of arguement will get even a Randites
> attention. Don't depend on some folks good nature. It may not
> exist. Depend on their self interest instead. Use the following
> argument on the "free market" crowd:
> 
> *****************************
> Foreign aid Money flow:
> 
> Taxpayer -> IMF -> despot's creditors -> despot's minimum loan
> payments -> new loan money channeled into despot's swiss bank
> accounts.
> 
> All the while those same despots squeeze enough tribute to
> begger local folks, whose plight is then used as an excuse for
> more loans/foreign aid.
> *****************************
> 
> Showing how outright theft and fraud is perpetrated on taxpayers
> stands a better chance of getting through to them.

I strongly suspect that the conservative/capitalist railing against taxes
is totaly based on the amount of tax money that actualy goes toward things
like public works, social programs, government regulatory agencies,
etc.  Most complaints about taxes would dry up if these things
dissapeared.  If taxes were seen as solely supporting police, prisons, and
the military, you would not hear Republican/Libertarian Party types
bitching about the "theft and fraud" of taxes...
the number of "purist" Randists who complain about taxes
would go down dramaticly as well.

 - JH