You cannot live in the wilderness, it is against the law.

Now you are getting the idea.  This is what happens when you give power to gov't.  Any power.  As soon as the gov't has power, groups will form to convince government to use that power to enhance their group.

From the nail salon or hair dresser to the construction trades to the doctors and lawyers, they all have their regulations and requirements to limit and discourage competition.  And all done in the name of public safety, courtesy of the government paid for by that same public.

If it were really a matter of public safety the issue could be solved by information instead of force - the "authorized" business could display their gov't license, gov't could confirm that any business is or is not authorized.  But information instead of force means anyone would be free to start a business and anyone would be free to choose to use an unauthorized business at their own risk.

Competing groups could form and then provide those same services of authorization (accreditation and validation).  If the competing group(s) proved more trustworthy than the government accreditation then gradually the gov't business would drop off because nobody would care to obtain the gov't certification.

But no, instead the group with guns gets more and more powerful and claims the right to choose what business people can start by setting arbitrary restrictions and waving their guns if you forge your own path.

I think you had better find a different metric.

Post count just means someone has a lot to say and a lot of time to say it.  I'm sure you've met that type in person...

He just left out the Saxon's (germans) taking over Denmark in the 1400's (the nobles chose a saxon king to avoid war) and he also left out the wars with sweden, norway (oops, not denmark) and germany since then.

And the 1848 revolution was threatening to get bloody but the king decided to fold and appease the angry landlords.

The lousy scumbag thief!  What right does he have to keep his income so low that he pays no income tax?  He should be forced to work at a productive job! What gives him the right to be a parasite on society and work those low-paying jobs that should be reserved for children?

Tell you what.

Abolish all taxes beyond the local (city or county) level.

Expel or assimilate non-local service providers providing service in the local area.

Institute "pay cost" for use on all services provided by non-local entities.

Then we can talk about greed.

Until then, the greedy who want me to pay for their services can take a flying leap.

You might want to look again at when the king's power was first limited by whom and for whom.  It was not for the rights of the citizens but the wealthy landowners who were able to pose a threat to the king.

Camel's nose and all that, time passes, and look what happened in the hundreds of years since...  Gov't discovered it could bamboozle the common people into thinking gov't was good, and gov't was caring, and gov't could provide a nice teat to suck on yet still stomp on the people whenever it was needed, just so long as it smiled while so doing.

Nothing that wasn't predicted hundreds of years ago, of course.  But people that don't know history are doomed to repeat it.

It is not stealing to prevent a thief from taking your property.

It is not stealing to recover your property from a thief.

My relationship or arrangement with gov't is not a contract I agreed to.  The laws of the government do not allow enforcing a contract if I was not presented all the terms prior to agreement and also prohibit changing the terms after I agree.  The fact that the government does not have to follow contract law shows our arrangement with government is not a contract.  Further, the remedy for breach of contract does not include either party taking out with other party with military action.  Yet that is the government's remedy against the people.  Of course, the people are not allowed to have equivalent capability of arms, nor are they allowed to exercise even the limited capability of arms they are allowed.  This imbalance of power and exercise of force shows that the arrangement with gov't is so far from contract it is not even a binding agreement.  In any other setting the law would define this arrangement as extortion.  But when the thugs write the law, they define it differently.  But what is a name?


Of course the same logic holds impeccably for that which is sweet only in name but deed is not.  Extortion by any other name...

At least I understand it.

Check out the origination of the Danish monarchy and how long those Germans had absolute power.  You really think everybody wanted that?  Then look at how many constitutions the Kingdom of Denmark has had.  4?  5?  Maybe the 1953 one will stick around for a bit because it requires at least 40% of voters to approve changes.  Of course, all gov't has to do is make more promises or declare a state of emergency and the constitution will be changed or discarded as desired.  Sure, there would be controversy (just like joining the EU).  But that can be quelled if it becomes too strident.

basically I agree with what you wrote except for that line.

Efficiency has nothing to do with founding gov'ts.  Gov'ts are the least efficient allocators of resources known to man.

Many/most gov'ts were founded by gangs of thieves who conquered and subjected others in order to exploit them.  Some/few were founded by people to protect the people from gov'ts of the first order, but none remain of that persuasion to my knowledge.  Some have tried to dress themselves as if the people/society were a priority, but the laws, constitutions, and actions when observed in action do not support that stance.

Then you are a fool with gullible written in bold on your forehead.

Government has as its highest priority the survival of government. If helping society will help government, then gov't will help society to help itself.  But each and every time those goals conflict, government has always and will always sacrifice society for the continuance and growth of government.

Look at any government emergency plans for themself vs for their populace.  Look at any war between two nations.

Civil rights are the rights to which born equal applies. That was and is the only context.

No, they are not.

They are funded by taking money from society by force if necessary.  Gov't claims the exclusive right of the exercise of force against members of society.

Not cap gains tax, regular income tax.

In the U.S. Joe has to consider all incidental gains on currency exchange over $200 to be regular income which is taxed at far higher rate than capital gains.  There is only a short paragraph devoted to this topic.

Only trading forex gains and losses are subject to cap gains rates and then only if you opt for that treatment in advance of your trade.  But taking that option may also cost you...  There is a whole section devoted to this topic.

If you want to steal from me, have the guts to do it yourself instead of hiding behind skirts of government.

Redistribution of wealth is 100% the province of despots.  Only the idiotic would think that a gov't capable of redistributing wealth will continue to do so in their favor.

That is a gross distortion.

Born equal has nothing to do with family, gender, health, wealth or anything other than civil rights.  In other words, there is no nobility or other political privilege or punishment by right of birth.

If anything, being born poor is now currently breaking the "born equal" promise because the state provides more for those at the expense of those whose families pay their own way.

Does that mean they are just about to build monuments to bitcoin?   

What difference does that make?

Interesting.

Most areas have a few stations that you can pay for the attendant to pump your gas.  I usually avoid those lanes or pushing the attendant button.

In fact, when I used to commute thru the Willamette valley I had a membership to an unmanned station just so I could pump my own.    I've never banged the pump handle into my vehicle nor broken the filler door by bumping into it...

I found that for as much as the folks around and just north of Corvallis like to tell other people what to do and how to live, they sure don't like it when somebody tells them.  Maybe they are the ones getting into bitcoin.