I think society should provide luxuries or rather make them available. You still have to earn them. A human's necessities to life, are oxygen, water, and food. All of which can be found in nature. Shelter is optional, but, can be provided by one's self and only self, outside help is not needed. If you want to take advantage of not needing to produce and harvest your own food, and all the modern amenities, then you can choose to pay your part. But then it comes back to my original point, we just are not given that choice.
Is this thread about how things should be given to people, or how taxation shouldnt be enforced by violence (and be voluntary), or something completely different?
Its about how the system is forced on us, and drilled into peoples minds by convincing them the only way to life can go on is by perpetuating it. Taxes are are a part of it, so is forcing people to work to pay said taxes, evem if they are self sufficient, and the government has no effect on their existence (building your own house on your own land, and producing all your own food and water)
I grew up in a poor family, but in doing that I feel like it gave me an edge on getting ahead. If I wanted a bike or car I had to get something that was not usable to most people... but I could repair things and make them work for me for little cost. That has followed me thru life. My wife and I bought land that nobody saw the value of because it didn't have citrus grove on it. We got a great deal and have turned it into a beautiful place with a yearly garden and numerous fruit trees. Her boss, a lawyer, bought a lot that had an old house on it that needed to be removed in order for him to build an office. So guess who tore down the house? I got enough lumber to build our house, for free, other than the cost of plumbing, drywall, and paint. I've even driven 2 shallow wells myself for irrigation and an emergency water supply with a hand pump. I could go on and on....but the point is that I only have what I have because I learned how to make something out of nothing thru work and a little vision. I also pay property taxes on 4 places every year, but we own them and the value appreciates every year...I have no regrets, every drop of sweat I put into life I've gotten back 5 times over....
But thats the thing, in the end, youre okay with it. You said you have no regrets. Thats good. But not everyone is the same, not everyone has those skills, not everyone can make something out of (next to) nothing
I also totally disagree with the idea that things like public schools would survive just fine without tax dollars because people would voluntarily pay for it. Bullllllshit.
Well technically you do benefit from things like protection of the military just by being in the country as well. So I can kind of justify property taxes on that basis. Plus if you wanted to have your own water you'd have to have a river or stream or lake or well on your property. But really the biggest problem with your idea remains that there's not enough land for everyone to do this, so in reality, not everyone is given a choice. Not to mention being totally independent is going to be a lot more work than just working a job, so I don't really understand what you're supposed to be gaining by this. Do you understand how much work it would be to produce all your own food, water, electricity, maintain all the shit necessary for that? Oh and if you need a part for your generator or something you can't buy it because you don't work and don't have any money. This idea just isn't very good man.
I didn't start out any differently than anyone else...I didn't know shit other than the fact that if I wanted the basic things in life It was all about me making it happen....but I didn't have distractions like the net and gaming...
Pff public schools are a sham. A library can teach you everything that school can with none of the propaganda, and in probably a 10th of the time. You can forego electricity, or use alternatives like wind or solar. Its not about whats easier or not, being self sufficient is the hardest thing imaginable, our country government cant even manage it (or chooses not to), but if someone has the will to do it, they shoud be able to. Like I said, my protest is the lack of choice, the vast majority of people, will continue with business as usual. All Im saying is we should be given the choice
Okay so? Youre ignoring my whole, lack of choice in the matter point. Because they choose to, and I love them for it.
No, I'm not, because your whole idea depends on people being so damn charitable that they'll just pay for all these things anyway. Which is magical fairyland levels of not true.
Even if they dont, a library could easily be funded by membership fees. Or hell, in the era of digital medium, go download a book, you already pay for the internet, by choice, not because its mandatory
I left out a major part of the reason things worked out for me like they did....my wife. She has always had my back and made do with little...she cooked us dinner nightly and did all the housekeeping. Many times her having a steady job made the difference in us getting by. I worked at contract labor and had some really lean times....without her by my side we would never have accomplished what we have....
Not everyone can teach themselves with books, Lux. There are people in third world countries who would kill to have a public education system and you're brushing it aside like "whatever, just go to a library, kids". That's just really, depressingly, not a smart idea.
That doesnt make our public schools any less terrible at their job. Education is good, Ill agree with that, but our schools teach very little. They teach how to memorize, not the material itself.Thats why as soon as people are out of school they forget so much, because all they were taught was memorize for the test