NationStates Jolt Archive

As a Conservative who favours lower taxes, I say citizens because even if they waste money on stupid things, it only hurts their bank book and family income. If a government does it, they have to cut back on things like education, health care, military, etc.

then dont call youself that...both parties will incease the size of the gov-ment

then dont call youself that...both parties will incease the size of the gov-ment


I'm not an American. I'm neither republican nor democrat.

Depends on the citizen we're talking about. There are plenty of citizens who manage to live on a budget and save money, etc., and there are plenty who file for bankrupcty every year, whether due to misfortune or profligacy.

The question is a bogus one anyway. Governments exist to provide a stable society in which individuals can prosper financially, socially, and physically (not necessarily in that order). That's their job--keep the basics running well enough that we have time to create instead of spending it all fending off parasites and gathering food. How much of an active role the government takes in that job is a matter for discussion and debate, but the fact is that that's what the government is supposed to do, and in order to do it, it needs funding, and that funding comes from taxation. I've written it a thousand times and I'll probably write it a thousand more--taxes are the dues we pay to live in an advanced society.

Depends on the citizen we're talking about. There are plenty of citizens who manage to live on a budget and save money, etc., and there are plenty who file for bankrupcty every year, whether due to misfortune or profligacy.

The question is a bogus one anyway. Governments exist to provide a stable society in which individuals can prosper financially, socially, and physically (not necessarily in that order). That's their job--keep the basics running well enough that we have time to create instead of spending it all fending off parasites and gathering food. How much of an active role the government takes in that job is a matter for discussion and debate, but the fact is that that's what the government is supposed to do, and in order to do it, it needs funding, and that funding comes from taxation. I've written it a thousand times and I'll probably write it a thousand more--taxes are the dues we pay to live in an advanced society.


I understand the need for taxes, I'm simply saying I do not favour higher taxes that are impossed by Socialists or whatever. I'll re-word my question, should taxes be lower so people have more money in their pocket or higher so the government has more?

I understand the need for taxes, I'm simply saying I do not favour higher taxes that are impossed by Socialists or whatever. I'll re-word my question, should taxes be lower so people have more money in their pocket or higher so the government has more?Depends on what you want out of your government. Personally, I like most of the stuff the US government spends its money on. I like the idea of putting money aside for Social Security and Medicare--my dad was disabled by Alzheimers about three years ago and my parents would be in dire straits without both of those programs. I like the clean air and water and food that governmental regulatory programs provide. I like the interstate highway system, and the air traffic control system, and the myriad other programs that the federal government funds. In most cases, I feel like I'm getting my money's worth.

What bugs me about this kind of debate, however, is that this idea of "the government ought to let me keep my money" comes up, with no real consideration about what the government did in order to make it possible for you to make the money in the first place. Most of the regulatory stuff the US government handles, for instance, it handles for a much lower cost than the free market would handle it--and the fact that you don't have to worry about whether your water will give you cholera means you have time to work on other stuff, like making more money. There's so much that people take for granted that it really pisses me off to hear them grouse about paying a pittance--compared to what it would cost to handle those services individually--in taxes .