tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23717700.post3175931377200019006..comments2023-10-23T14:30:26.234-07:00Comments on Random Musings: The week ahead...Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03338682971485143332noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23717700.post-72652435167365977662009-03-30T17:43:00.000-07:002009-03-30T17:43:00.000-07:00I gladly admit to claiming moral high ground on th...I gladly admit to claiming moral high ground on this one as all <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office#United_States" REL="nofollow">elected officials choose to take an oath</A> to support and defend the Constitution. Any laws they pass should (but often aren't) constitutionally valid. Any laws and appropriations that are not authorized by the constitution are unconstitutional. <BR/><BR/>Democracy doesn't make laws or taxes voluntary, far from it. It only imposes a tyranny of the majority.<BR/><BR/>Neither laws nor taxes are voluntary in any logical sense of the word.Thane Eichenauerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12848580360960232789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23717700.post-68349169548303406592009-03-29T22:29:00.000-07:002009-03-29T22:29:00.000-07:00Thane:Get off of your high horse. The tax rates ar...Thane:<BR/><BR/>Get off of your high horse. The tax rates are set and voted on by elected representatives of the people. <BR/><BR/>I support paying more tax for bills like this that promote many social programs. You don't.<BR/><BR/>If you convince more people that you are right and then elect candidates who agree with your position then so be it. As a resident of a democracy I will accept that verdict, though I may work to reverse it in some subsequent election.<BR/><BR/>At least recently, more people have agreed with my position. I would point out that Barack Obama promised during the campaign 1. to propose something along the lines of this bill, and 2. said he would let the Bush tax cut on the top marginal rate expire on schedule, which is in keeping with the expressed will of the Congress of 2001 which specified in their bill that it was only a 10 year tax cut.<BR/><BR/>In a country like China or Zimbabwe taxes are obtained by force because those taxed-- like Americans prior to the revolution-- have no representation in determining the tax rates they would be taxed under. <BR/><BR/>In America on the other hand tax laws are no different than any other law-- written by the people's elected representatives who serve at the behest of those who at least implicitly agree to follow the laws they write.Eli Blakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00792743206074537073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23717700.post-86082217531646935422009-03-29T22:25:00.000-07:002009-03-29T22:25:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Eli Blakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00792743206074537073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23717700.post-87989412558208254262009-03-29T14:39:00.000-07:002009-03-29T14:39:00.000-07:00@HR1388 - $1 billion in spending for programs not ...@HR1388 - $1 billion in spending for programs not constitutionally authorized. Far from having anything to do with <A HREF="http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/search/word,volunteer" REL="nofollow">volunteerism</A> this bill spends money that has been obtained through force (taxes).Thane Eichenauerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12848580360960232789noreply@blogger.com