What does it mean to "own" property? Can I knock on your door and say that your house is mine now? No. Because you have deed recorded down at the county courthouse. Because if I knock on your door and attempt to claim your house, the deed says I can't.
Someone's got to pay to maintain the courthouses. Someone's got to pay the judges to mediate disputes. Without an independent judiciary, "my property" mean nothing more or less than what I can take and hold by force. The rule of law requires records and courts. They don''t come for free. That means taxes.
I will not -- no sane person can -- dispute that taxes are too high and too much of that money is spent on frivolous matters with little return. But when you stake out a position that all tax is theft, that no taxes are legitimate, you're talking about a position that is at odds with reality. We must have a government, and it will not come for free. Accept that conclusion, and then you're just haggling over the price.
I was not talking about private citizens. I was talking about government and the fact that the way they have set things up is if you do not pay your property taxes, they CAN take your house. Therefore, the ultimate owner of all homes is the government, not you.
Someone's got to pay to maintain the courthouses. Someone's got to pay the judges to mediate disputes. Without an independent judiciary, "my property" mean nothing more or less than what I can take and hold by force. The rule of law requires records and courts. They don''t come for free. That means taxes.
Your right, but I never said anything like that. You evidently assumed I meant that we do not need any of those things, including taxes. Wrong assumption. I will not -- no sane person can -- dispute that taxes are too high and too much of that money is spent on frivolous matters with little return. But when you stake out a position that all tax is theft, that no taxes are legitimate, you're talking about a position that is at odds with reality. We must have a government, and it will not come for free. Accept that conclusion, and then you're just haggling over the price.
It is always amazing to me how so many here, when responding to a post, put in their responses things that were never said, that they think the poster meant.
All tax is theft? Where did you get that? I never said, nor implied that, and do not believe that. Of course we need some taxes.
Government does not come for free. Again, did I say or imply it should?? No. Your assumptions of what I really meant are way off base.
What I do believe is there is a more equitable, better way to collect taxes. But, I will not hold my breath on that one. The government (and politicians therein) love the fact that they ultimately control all residential and commercial property. We will never be the equivalent of the Freemen in old England, unfortunately.
Please, next time just take the words as written. When someone believes they know what another person is thinking, they are almost always wrong.