Morality and taxes

One of the strongest held arguments of the libertarian mindset is the notion that taxes are theft, and therefore immoral. The argument goes that since the state really shouldn't exist, tax payments are coerced, and wages are the product of the hard work of the individual...or something like that. The argument is so black-and-white that it is non-sensical to me. It seems proof positive that conservative philosophy really is based in justifying selfishness.

So, here's my take. It doesn't matter if the state (government) should exist because it does exist.
Wages and wealth are not JUST the product of the work of the individual. In large part they are, but the state plays a part in any wages or return on investments. The governemnt (and the society it regulates and supports) also contributes to the ability of the individual to earn cash. Because of this, government is entitled to receive a portion of the earnings it helped produce. Coercing the individual to pay a portion of their income to support the state is not theft. It is natural that the group (society) expects some contribution by all. It is also natural that some individuals will make attempts to avoid contributing to the whole. Avoidance of carrying out this responsility by illegal means or philosophical argument is the immoral position.

Thanks to Jerry Falwell and Ronald Reagan...

...for having a large hand in making me the hardcore liberal Democrat I am today. They are two giants in the rise of the evil Republican right in the modern USofA. (Pat Robertson, Ralph Reed, Lee Atwater and Karl Rove are also very important figures.) As a young man coming to understand the political world around me, I reacted to their evil. So, cheers to you two rotten apples and to the hope that the political winds are finally turning a bit away from the immoral, bigoted, hateful political ideas and talking points that are still with us today.

“The enemies of America give us probably what we deserve. When we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way—all of them who have tried to secularize America—I point the finger in their face and say, ‘you helped this happen.’” The Reverend Jerry Falwell, September 13 2001.

How does the W Admin bail from Iraq and still be righteous?

I think the writing is on the wall.

Yesterday, I read that several "moderate" Republican legislators finally said something straightforward and honest in the White House on the subject of Iraq. Of course, they were doing it to save their political asses but that's how democracy is supposed to work. I also saw that evil Dick Cheney was in Iraq having 'frank' discussions with the civillian Iraqi leadership about the progress that the US (as represented by evil Dick) expects them to make.

It is clear to me that the way out of Iraq for the W Admin is to blame the elected Iraqi leadership for all the ill that is going on there. This will provide the spinning political cover that Republicans need to bail out and claim the high ground. They will effectively have their cake and eat eat too, riding this wave of bullshit back to legislative and executive electoral victory in 2008. The American people will buy it.

PS. Today I see W is opening the door a bit to accept some 'benchmarks'. This is a great device to assign blame on the Iraqi leadership in the near future. Watch Rove spin this into a victory for the Republicans.

A diary...uh....uh type entry

Burito. I shoud not have eaten the whole thing. Ooof. Thank God the weather is nice ,so I can sleep with the windows open. God is good.

Roger Clemens

It will be fun to watch OLD Roger try it again. My prediction is that his performance for the balance of the season will not be worth the mountain of money he is costing the evil Yankees.