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The Earth Party
Position on:
Taxes
The Earth Party does not believe in taxes.
We do believe in fixing problems, and in doing so collectively, as communities, and as a planet.
We believe in using public organizations (including government) to serve the world and improve society.
But not with taxes.
Taxes are an old-paradigm mechanism, mired in old thinking and old attitudes. People who want to obtain funding for projects by violently forcing others to pay for them, are suffering from a lack of creativity.
If we're going to be a mature civilization, we have to stop doing it like that. Using brute force to fund projects is barbaric. It has no lawful justification. Taxation is theft.
"But without taxes, how will you fund projects? By donation?"
This handy little chart explains it:
"But no one would fund it, if it was voluntary."
Would you?
"Well... errr... yes and no. I would, if I was assured that everyone else was pitching in their fair share. But what if they don't? Why should I pay for them, while they reap the benefits of the services I'm paying for, without pitching in themselves? That' wouldn't be fair! Isn't taxation the only way to ensure that the burden is shared by everyone together?"
Violence is not the only way to get moochers to contribute. It's just hte most primitive and brutish way.
"What other way is there?"
Social pressure. If there's a moocher in your community, there are a multitude of ways to apply pressure, without turning to violence.
Humans have existed for 300,000 years, and somehow found a way to get all the necessary chores done, without having taxes for 99.99% of that time.
"So you're saying to use shame? That only works in small groups, where everybody knows everybody, and everybody can see how much work others are contributing (or not contributing), and social pressure actually affects people in a direct way.
But we don't have small, close-knit communities like that anymore. We live in a great big hodge-podge society, with individual independence and anonymity. We don't live in villages anymore."
Well, why don't we?
"Why don't we what?"
Live in villages again.
"How would we even go about that?"
Glad you asked! Restoring natural social units just happens to be part of the Earth Party's Blueprint for a Mature Civilization! The very first step, in fact!
The step-by-step details are in the plan!
"So you could fund government and societal improvement projects through voluntary donations, at the village level. OK. But as you say yourself, we have to solve our problems as a wider community - as a planet. I'm assuming that would cost money, and, if it's at such a large scale, then this principle wouldn't apply, would it?"
First of all, in a mature civilization, upwards of 90% of everyday economic activity would take place at the village level. So this principle does apply to the vast majority of projects.
"And what about the other 10%?"
That has to be funded through a slightly more complex mechanism - but still not taxes.
Instead, we will use a sane financial system. To learn how it works, visit Step 6 of the Blueprint.
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