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Comment by Eleutheria | Hacker News Reader

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Eleutheria·

Universal income? Sure why not. With your own money.

My money stays in my pocket.

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You can keep your money. What you owe in tax is by definition not yours.

In practice yes, but not in moral terms.

Maybe you should print your own money, then?

Why does nobody ever apply this logic to police and military and corporate welfare?

The only reason you have money is because of the government.

You better move to a tax haven.

Tax is part of the social contract, and you can opt out at any time by leaving.

Further, taxes are regulated through voting, which determines both how much is collected and how it is used. If the majority disagrees, well, most of the money is theirs, not yours, and you're free to go somewhere else.

At least you're not even pretending that taxation is supposed to be good for him (by virtue of services or whatever). No, simply "you owe" the mob, however much they demand.

People always look at their tax expenditure in terms of services they are provided. It's not a product! It's a social contract that collectively binds us - we will provide a safety net for everyone, in terms of lifelong healthcare and making sure you always have shelter, food and water.

So yes, we the mob have decided you will contribute - we simply cannot watch the less fortunate suffer when we have the capacity to stop it!

"we simply cannot watch the less fortunate suffer"

... as though that was what the bulk of taxes were about. (If you define "less fortunate" and "suffer" to cover everyone and everything who happens to have a smaller income than you, it is weak sauce.)

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