Subject:
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Re: Just Teasing, I Have No Intention of Debating Any of This...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Mon, 24 Mar 2003 17:48:47 GMT
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Viewed:
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933 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, David Koudys writes:
> I think there's a big difference b/w the two--in your case, the services you
> receive via 'your tax dollar' aid you as well as your fellow man.
Right, and the "taxes" paid by the slaves -- in the form of 100% of their
productivity -- aided them as well as their fellows. They were fed, clothed,
and housed without ever having to worry about those things. And in some cases,
the system went so far that matches were made for them so that they didn't have
to go through the awkward and error-prone dating/mating rituals. All of their
needs were seen to...right?
What...those aren't the services that they wanted? Gosh, another similarity
to today!
> Sure you were 'born into' the agreement...but the benefits of the
> agreement are apparent.
Just like the benefits to the slaves.
> Sure some tax dollars are wastefully spent, but you can't say *all* tax
> dollars are wastefully spent--my trash is collected, my lights come on, my
> roads are there for me to use, parks are there, and mostly clean, etc.
Yes I can. My trash and lights are private. Private parks are often nicer
than public ones. And, the three major tollways (the PA TPK, the NJ TPK, and
the Garden State Parkway) near me (which are only semi-private) are better than
the freeway analogs. There must be something to this private management
thing.
I don't if the 70 cents from every dollar collected is wasted in the
bureaucracy quote is really true, but it doesn't seem that far off. So even if
we assume (incorrectly) that the stuff being done with our taxes has merit, we
still have it being done inefficiently.
> "True" democracy--let *all* the people vote on *everything*. I can see no
> greater way for idiotic ideas to become law.
So the average citizen is fit to be a juror but not a legislator? That's
pretty screwed up, if you ask me. I guess I trust the average person more
than you and Dave!
If everyone got a vote on every issue, and it took a 2/3 or 3/4 to pass, and
there were a petitioning system that required so many citizens (1/2%?) to get
their issue on the ballot, and attorneys were encouraged to do their pro bono
time helping citizens craft bills, then we might have a direct democracy that
worked pretty well. (And we would minimize John's worry of having our national
capital victimized!)
Chris
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