A Libertarian's look at Christmas

[Ravi]

Isn't this thread charmingly appealing to emotions?

When that's all you have you have to milk it for all it's worth.

Says the victim Queen.

 

[Saladin]

I don't believe there's much liberty enhancement involved in the imposition of restrictive economic conditions that might as well function as formal state restriction. That's why I tend to avoid application of the "libertarian" label to these folks.

 

[Amanda]

Isn't this thread charmingly appealing to emotions?

When that's all you have you have to milk it for all it's worth.

Says the victim Queen.

As we all know if you say something enough times it becomes true. Keep repeating it Ravi, maybe you'll get a convert or 2.

 

[editec]

There is a sort of social Darwinism kinda logic to the piece. But when mankind becomes nothing more than sharks with legs, then maybe it is time for us to go the way of the dinosaurs.

Don't worry.

That's exactly where we're headed.

Much thanks to the obscene greed of some of us, I might add.

 

[ihopehefails]

No one thinks that. Many do think that without God we can't be compassionate. Nice spin there, bucko.

I don't think I mention God in this post....

I didn't say you did.

Then why bring it up?

 

[ihopehefails]

There is a sort of social Darwinism kinda logic to the piece. But when mankind becomes nothing more than sharks with legs, then maybe it is time for us to go the way of the dinosaurs.

Don't worry.

That's exactly where we're headed.

Much thanks to the obscene greed of some of us, I might add.

Its actually called free-will.

 

[Diuretic]

That was a clever piece and actually quite humorous. I don't know if the author meant it but I suspect there was more than a bit of tongue in cheek in the essay.

Are we all glad that advanced western industrial societies aren't like Dickens' England?

 

[JW Frogen]

Are we all glad that advanced western industrial societies aren't like Dickens' England?

Not me, I love gruel. Especially fermented gruel.

 

[Diuretic]

Are we all glad that advanced western industrial societies aren't like Dickens' England?

Not me, I love gruel. Especially fermented gruel.

Please sir, may I have more?
Pleash sir, may I has more?
Pleash want more.
Gimme more gruel.
Fuck it what does a man have to do to a fucking gruel around here?!!

Oliver Twist to Oliver Pisht.

If only they hadn't changed the gruel recipe.

 

[Skull Pilot]

There is a sort of social Darwinism kinda logic to the piece. But when mankind becomes nothing more than sharks with legs, then maybe it is time for us to go the way of the dinosaurs.

Don't worry.

That's exactly where we're headed.

Much thanks to the obscene greed of some of us, I might add.

Thrift and greed are not the same.

used to be thrift was considered a virtue but not so now.

If you don't buy a new cell phone every 6 months there's something wrong with you right?
If you expect people to be responsible for themselves, you're greedy and heartless right?

If some idiot a la Bob Cratchit wants to slave away for an unappreciative boss for low wages that is his choice is it not?

Why should one be called greedy for allowing another to make his own choices and live with the consequences?

 

[jillian]

Isn't this thread charmingly appealing to emotions?

as opposed to all the others?

 

[chanel]

I'd rather give my money to the Cratchet family than have the govt. take their cut. That's the difference between "charity" and "welfare". Can someone remind us which side wants to take away the charitable income tax deduction and start taxing the churches? Is it really about "helping the poor" or increasing power thru government dependency?

 

[editec]

This is why it would truly behoove our society to feed libertarians to the poor.

 

[Contumacious]

The Parasites are always looking for pretexts to sic the IRS on Americans - they like to be charitable with other people's money.

Savaging a former firefighter

Tom Savage, a retired fireman and businessman, was at home in Wilmington, Delaware, on the morning of April 4, 1993, when an IRS agent knocked on his door. When Savage came out, the agent pointed at the “For Sale” sign in front of his house and asked, “What are you doing, trying to get out of town before you pay your taxes?” The agent demanded to see Savage’s personal tax documents and Savage obliged him, assuming that a quick examination would prove that he owed nothing to the government.

Savage’s firm, Tom Savage Associates, was in the prison-construction business. Unbeknownst to him, a subcontractor of his firm had failed to pay payroll taxes for its employees. This was the first time that Savage had ever done business with that particular firm, yet the IRS agent announced that Savage was personally liable for all the payroll taxes of his subcontractor. This demand was totally in violation of federal tax law. Savage hired a law firm, and within a week, the IRS abandoned its wrongful demand.

However, the IRS agent, on his own authority, created and registered a new partnership — purportedly consisting of Tom Savage Associates and the other firm, assigned them an Employer Identification Number, and then demanded that Savage personally pay $315,000 in taxes for the nonexistent partnership. Since IRS agents have no legal authority to create new partnerships, especially involuntary ones, the agent’s audacity stunned Savage and his lawyers. Once again, the lawyers went back to the IRS to get the wrongful demand dropped.

<snip>

Holmes ruled that IRS misconduct was relevant and ordered the government to compensate Gardner for its abusive prosecution.

The IRS never provided Gardner with any explanation for the raid or explained why the indictment was dropped. In January 1999, the Justice Department paid $75,000 to Gardner’s lawyer, Thomas Seymour, for violating a 1997 law intended to curb prosecutions that are “vexatious, frivolous, or in bad faith.”


Conclusion
The federal tax code remains hellishly complex — and the tax law’s incomprehensibility continues to vest sweeping discretionary power in IRS agents. It is only a question of time until the next major IRS scandal breaks across the front page of the nation’s newspapers.

.

Rules of fair use prohibit the posting of pieces in their entirety.

~Dude

 

[Skull Pilot]

This is why it would truly behoove our society to feed libertarians to the poor.

yeah let's just kill off all the people who believe that they should be free make their own decisions and control their own destinies.

We'd all be better off if we just let other people, you know smart, important honest people like politicians make all our choices for us.

 

[Political Junky]

Isn't this thread charmingly appealing to emotions?

And we don't need no stinkin emotions, right?

 

[BasicGreatGuy]

So let's look without preconceptions at Scrooge's allegedly underpaid clerk, Bob Cratchit. The fact is, if Cratchit's skills were worth more to anyone than the fifteen shillings Scrooge pays him weekly, there would be someone glad to offer it to him. Since no one has, and since Cratchit's profit-maximizing boss is hardly a man to pay for nothing, Cratchit must be worth exactly his present wages.

No doubt Cratchit needs—i.e., wants—more, to support his family and care for Tiny Tim. But Scrooge did not force Cratchit to father children he is having difficulty supporting. If Cratchit had children while suspecting he would be unable to afford them, he, not Scrooge, is responsible for their plight. And if Cratchit didn't know how expensive they would be, why must Scrooge assume the burden of Cratchit's misjudgment?

Scrooge Defended - Michael Levin - Mises Institute

Take a look at my signature. There is nothing heartless about holding people accountable for their actions. There is also nothing wrong with not giving handouts to every person that thinks they are entitled to them. You didn't mention that ugly fact in your post. In fact, you appear to believe in taking from one by force, which is a lot like theft, and giving to another. I rather hold to strict constitutionalism, than using the government as a weapon of force, to rob others.

If you believe there are a lot of people entitled to more 'stuff,' open your own wallet wider, worrying about your own business, instead of worrying about how much others are giving of their own volition.

Appeals to emotion don't work.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

I was wrong, libertarians are this soulless. I can't wait til they rewrite Rudolph.

Like how the toys on the Island of Misfit Toys got what they deserved since the market rejected them?

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

This is why it would truly behoove our society to feed libertarians to the poor.

We probably wouldn't taste very good since we're all bitter old misers.

 

[Anguille]

Take a look at my signature. There is nothing heartless about holding people accountable for their actions. There is also nothing wrong with not giving handouts to every person that thinks they are entitled to them. You didn't mention that ugly fact in your post. In fact, you appear to believe in taking from one by force, which is a lot like theft, and giving to another. I rather hold to strict constitutionalism, than using the government as a weapon of force, to rob others.

If you believe there are a lot of people entitled to more 'stuff,' open your own wallet wider, worrying about your own business, instead of worrying about how much others are giving of their own volition.

Appeals to emotion don't work.

I looked at your sig. I looked at your screenname.
Still not convinced.