Forums > Social Discussion > Tax Good or bad

Posted: 2nd Sep 2005
I'd say it's necessary to pay for things like schools, hospitals and the country's infrastructure, but when I tell people from other countries that we pay 17.5% VAT they're stunned. Too much of our taxes goes on beaureucracy, and there are far too many pen pushers who just end up making everything less efficient.

You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.

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Posted: 2nd Sep 2005
taxes are a good thing but they are too high in this country and the government doesnt spend them right

Posted: 2nd Sep 2005
Its mad how EVERYONE pays the same amount of tax through VAT. The way things are going, the rich will only get richer and the poor will only get poorer.

Why let your body be a temple? When it can be a theme park?

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Posted: 3rd Sep 2005
i totally agree A.C. - everyone isnt born equal, no matter how much we'd like to think so - there will always be a huge divide between the classes.

Always use "so's your face" and "only on Tuesdays" in as many conversations possible

Posted: 3rd Sep 2005
That's not wholly down to taxes though.

It's mainly because of usury, which is a crime according to the laws of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Only Muslims observe that law though (for example they can't apply for a mortgage unless their belongings have a value greater than the house they wish to buy, then they can get the go ahead from their religious leaders.)

(yes the link is to a religious site, but religion is a way of getting people to behave properly, and not all mumbo jumbo )

You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.

Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.

Posted: 3rd Sep 2005
'religion is a way of getting people to behave properly'

abundant examples of this proper behaviour include the crusades, twitch trials, Papal support for Nazi Germany, Zionism, televangelism, homophobia, female circumcision, refusing to give aid to charities which suggest contraception to try and stem the African aids epidemic etc etc etc

religion (particularly the three semetic religions) is way of trying to make people adhere to a set of rules.

He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.

Nietzsche

Posted: 3rd Sep 2005
Tax is a good thing...

It pays for schools, public transport, hospitals, the fire service, community centres, building council houses, looking after the disabled, arts projects, roads, park creation and development, museums and galleries, recycling & bin collection, unemployment sickness and disability benefits and a great many other things which are considered to be in the collective public interest.

It's interesting to hear people saying that taxes are too high in this country. I'd say certain flatrate taxes (which affect everyone in the same way) such as vat are too high, whereas income tax needs to be graded differently so that the rich pay more. As it stands the top tax band kicks in at 40K a year, I'd add 50% at 100K and 65% at 500K... people earning over that amount of money need it far less than those earning 10K a year... The UK has the biggest rich/poor divide of any 1st world country with some 26% living in what the UN deems to be poverty, 14% of which are living in permanent poverty. I'd like to see that gap closed.

While progressive taxation would be a definate step in the right direction, corporate taxation also needs to addressed... To create a favourable investment climate Britain has some of the lowest corporate taxes in Europe. Labour has proved as reluctant to tax the rich and their buisness interests as the Bush administration, largely due to fear of a media backlash... The Sun believes it cost Labour the 1992 election, as a result Labour now bends over backwards to keep the Murdoch media (News International owner of the Sun, The Times, Sky, Fox etc) onside, at the expense of the public who lose out on tax revenue.

Its too early and I'm too hungover to keep ranting...

He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.

Nietzsche

Posted: 3rd Sep 2005
Forgot to mention I'm a foundationist. All that comes from dogma and people being too stupid to question the translation and spin put on their religious texts.



At the beginning religion has a well thought out message, but after a while it just becomes convenient social control for those in power.

You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.

Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.

Posted: 3rd Sep 2005
Most of it comes from people putting their own spin on things... Whether or not the attitudes are implied in the scriptures is completely subjective.

But things like the description of homosexuality as a sin is part of the bible, which mean that there's no way you can debate the issue with people who believe. God said it... so it must be true... after all if you believe in the Jewish/Christian/Muslim god, who according to the blible/torah/koran is omnipotent, by definition he cannot be wrong.

He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.

Nietzsche