Sh*t you're liberal about/Sh*t you're conservative about

[The Dharma Bum]

The truth is the federal government needn't rely on any funding at all to operate. It creates currency and backs it so it can simply create whatever money it needs to operate. The purpose of taxation on the federal level is simply to regulate inflation and to create demand for government issued currency. Federal taxation is completely unnecessary outside of those two goals, which can be served in other ways quite easily.

On the other hand local and state governments, which do require funding, can fund themselves quite easily with usage fees such as "property tax", lottery sales, licensing fees, various investments etc.

So really the whole thing is open to debate.

[Indy]

Aha. So let us discuss then all the realistic alternatives to taxation that will allow us to have a functioning gov't. Go.

[Precocity]

[Indy]

The idea that the gov't just prints money to fund itself?

[J.K. Gregg]

Well, let's be honest, how much different is that from what they're doing now?

[Indy]

Just looking for answers here. If not taxes, then _____________.

[J.K. Gregg]

I think the only alternative is a free government, or a voluntarily funded one.

[Indy]

That's not going to work.

However, if somebody wants to talk about how we shift to a consumption tax or VAT, I'm all ears. I'd like to know the pros/cons of that.

Because doesn't it make sense that if I make X amount of dollars and I spend it all on necessities, I should be taxed differently than somebody who's spending it on booze, cigs, toys, etc.?

Thoughts?

[dontworrybehappy]

[Indy]