Fact: Taxation is violent.

[freespirit]

This is an interesting issue. Nowadays we think of taxation as some sort of inalienable "right" of governments and that it is OK that they just "invent" new taxes or increase existing ones just to cover their ever-growing spending but the truth it that taxation is relevantly recent "invention" (at least in its modern form) and in some largest economies (like USA and UK if I'm not mistaken, and until around 100 years ago US Constitution explicitly prohibited income taxes) income taxes were introduced to cover war expenses but they just liked the income so much they decided to hold on to it forever And most countries' governments just sort of followed the leaders (so every country has similar taxation systems now, the difference is in details only). (the same applies to immigration restrictions and criminalization of migration btw.)

I think we should view governments as no more as service companies who provide security (police, army etc.), conflict resolution facilities (courts of law etc.) etc. and pay them only for services provided (let them invoice us with detailed invoices) instead of %% of our income. Plus as much as possible of govt. functions should be outsourced to free market participants.
Sooner or later something like this should happen, this insanity (uncontrolled US govt. spending and ever-growing EU bureaucracy for example) can not go on forever. And all those modern "welfare states" are not economically sustainable in long term anyway.
Governments should be restricted to providing security for our lives and our private property. Period.

Time to read my post on reinventing democracy with bitcoin technology: http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=15967.0 (that thread is for technical/development discussion)

[freespirit]

Sure is, and I can't wait until all of the selfish libertarian idiots like you are taken off to Gitmo and tortured to death for your thought crimes and tax evasion. 

Who would've doubted that looters are violent

[freespirit]

The answer for this type of world is right in front of us. It's called Bitcoin.

Well, sort of. Bitcoin in it's present form handles financial matters only. That's why I created this post: http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=15967.0

[freespirit]

BTW, part of the taxation problem (of it's existence in it's present form) is universal suffrage.
Only real taxpayers should be allowed to vote on matters that affect taxation. Take Britain for example which used to have all sorts of private armies which conquered half of the world, because only taxpayers were making decisions back then and they would not let the state take their money to try to do the same. And recently it turned into a typical EU-socialist state with huge taxes and debt and an army of looters. Because looters vote for more and more looting! And commie-leaned parties/politicians encourage them to do so. Greece is another screaming example of looters' "democracy" (they have an officially socialist government if I'm not mistaken) with its Euro 300B debt.

Of course representative democracy is too rigid to allow such cherry picking on making decisions. One more reason to develop technology for some sort of more fine-grained democracy/decision-making. Read my post: http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=15967.0

[myrkul]

dude... one link is enough. And you're not even doing it right.

[freespirit]

dude... one link is enough. And you're not even doing it right.

It is sort of relevant to my every post.
Yes, link was to the section, not the post. Corrected.

[SpaceLord]

What have the Romans ever done for us???

Wut?

The Life of Brian:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExWfh6sGyso

[Basiley]

you forgot root of problem.
who, or to be exact, what things invent government and what for ?
like kings/tribes introduction previously.
its just about up-scaling CoC elements of World Domination/managemen by someone/something, staying in shadows. for ages.
for undisclosed, yet, purpose[aside (poorly-made)PR for newcomer/fledglings, usual for their servants in(pretending to be)secretive organizations around globe].

[myrkul]

The Life of Brian:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExWfh6sGyso

Monty Python makes an interesting point for you. Of course, it's the same one others have made: "But, they actually used that money for stuff for us!"

And, because others have already made this point, We already know the response to it:
1) If those things they used the money for were necessary, forcing people to pay for them is not. A truly necessary service will find funding without force.
2) In addition to the 'necessary' services provided, the funds have also gone to fund unnecessary bureaucracy, and a thug force formed specifically to keep the funds coming.

[freespirit]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1RxKW-P5V8
Good argument on "welfare states" etc.:

I object to the idea that people have the right to vote on everything. The traditional American system was a system based on the idea that majority will prevail only in public or political affairs; and that it was limited by inalienable individual rights. Therefore I do not believe that a majority can vote a man's life or property or freedom away from him. Therefore I do not believe that if a majority votes on any issue that this makes the issue right. It doesn't.

[em3rgentOrdr]

dude... one link is enough. And you're not even doing it right.

LOL!  Yeah!  It just so happens I did a post on this the other day: http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=alreadyhaveapostonthis

Oh!  And here is another post I did on a related topic: http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=anotherpostonarelatedtopic