I dont quite understand the logic behind discontinuing reading something just because I dont agree with it. Thats the one thing I really enjoy about this site is that it makes me think critically about my positions. Sometimes I have change what I think and sometimes it reinforces my thoughts. If I only read articles that I agree with I wouldnt ever be able to sharpen my sword so to speak. Thanks for providing a forum that gets the juices flowing!

I think of articles like that as “list cleaners.” They flush all the socialists, commies and world-improvers out into the open so they can be easily scrubbed from our mailing list.

Still, my heart is heavy from reading some of the incensed responses.

“Dear Gary Gibson:

“That piece about progressive taxation is an insult to our intelligence. Please unsubscribe me from your newsletter. Thank you for your prompt attention to this request.”

In truth the piece was an attempt to raise your intelligence. Can’t win ‘em all.

“For the record: I am a retired schoolteacher, not very religious, don’t attend church. I just believe government is all of us together doing the job that needs to be done for the whole of our population, our country. This horrible selfishness stalking our land and Republican and Libertarian thought processes, needs to have the light of day shed on it and call it by its real name: Unconscionable Selfishness. If this county fails it will be because of this blight in the minds of our citizens. ”

I’m allowing your response to muddy my Shot only so I can remind the Shooters that there are some people who just love to spend other people’s money in a misguided attempt to improve the world.

Be as generous with your own time and money as you want. Just don’t tell me what to do with mine. Also the coercive redistribution you champion doesn’t have the benefits you presume. In fact, even a cursory glance at history or a federal housing project would disabuse anyone with an IQ in the triple digits of that notion.

If this country fails, it will be because of the takers, thieves and busybodies who claim they want to bring equality by redistributive schemes.

Here’s a Shooter whose aim is true and who gives voice to subversive thoughts I often fail to keep to myself. I’m leaving the capitalizations and exclamation points as I found them because I think they are appropriate and because they make me happy…

“You guys are being WAY too merciful toward the idea of progressive taxation, and “income” taxation in general, in your writings!!!

“Not only are ALL such taxes — progressive or NOT — unfair, they are utterly immoral and contrary to all current definitions of “human rights”!!!! Any rational definition of human rights holds that a person’s time on this mortal coil is his or her own to spend as he or she wishes, whether at leisure, for pleasure, or to exchange their time and skills for money or material goods. Any tax WHATSOEVER on wages (the money a person chooses to exchange for their time and skill) is therefore, quite clearly, a blatant violation of their human RIGHT (as granted by the creator!!!) to spend their time here according to their own wishes. PERIOD!!!

“ANY non-voluntary tax, such as any ‘income’ tax, levied against wages, is NOTHING more than involuntary servitude (aka SLAVERY) imposed upon those taxed by others, via force of arms, through the ‘government’!!!!

“Gary, you in particular should be as sensitive to this issue as anyone, given what was imposed upon (at least some) your forebears by others!!

“The ONLY really FAIR form of taxation IS a consumption tax, imposed ONLY on the sale of NEW goods, and never on USED goods, personal services, food, or medicine. With this type of tax, anyone not disposed (or able) to pay it could avoid the tax COMPLETELY and LEGALLY by only purchasing USED goods!! The common (and specious) argument that the “poor” cannot ‘afford’ to pay the tax is thusly COMPLETELY countered and short-circuited!!

“Another advantage to this type of a tax structure is the obvious motivation it would give to all to move away from a consumption based, throw-away oriented society — and toward a ‘use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without’ approach to life — and toward the purchase of far MORE DURABLE (and more easily repairable) durable goods — with all of the extremely obvious benefits which such an approach has not only to the environment AND the macro economy in a resource-constrained world, but also to the full and quite profitable employment of skilled repair persons within local communities!!

“As far as I am concerned any ‘greenie’ who is not SOLIDLY behind the type of tax policy outlined above is an utter and absolute PHONY, a total hypocrite, and is, in reality, working toward a hidden, totalitarian, anti-liberty agenda, and emphatically NOT for the environment!!

“The same goes for anyone in favor on any tax whatsoever levied on “income” or wages, progressive or not!!!

“Yours in political incorrectness, and also…

“With best regards…”

I point out as quickly as my fingers can type that I do not hold to the notion of influencing behavior with taxes at all. I believe encroaching scarcity would do away with any unsustainable consumer habits. I believe we’re watching that happen right now…but I do see your point.

I’d also quickly point out that I’m from the Caribbean nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. My forebears include: marooned, kidnapped Africans; the native Caribs with whom they made babies; and the Scottish indentured servants who were sent to work in the Lesser Antilles. Even the white people in my lineage were pretty heavily put upon (though for only a specified portion of their lives).

In case anyone else wants to get offended and write me stern requests for un-subscription, allow me to provide a little incentive: I think every single tax is a form of coercion or theft, often both.

You know where you can send your insults and outraged responses…

gary@whiskeyandgunpowder.com

Regards,
Gary Gibson
Managing Editor, Whiskey & Gunpowder