There is a lot of discussion now-a-days about taxes and the concern over the Government's intention to implement a Value Added Tax (VAT) July 1, 2014.
The VAT is correctly being called regressive (which tax isn't), and impacts the poor.
Accordingly several alternatives are being suggested.
1. Payroll tax
2. Income Tax
3. Capital Gains
4. VAT should be implemented at a lower rate.
5. Introduction of VAT should be delayed, etc.
So let me see if I understand this. It is wrong to tax the poor and more should be taken from the middle and upper classes?
But as a friend pointed out recently, if we suggest the government has the moral right to tax, then arguing over who they take it from and in what quantities and/or form it takes is pointless.
While government is necessary to protect each one of us from the other, that does not give them right to create policies that harm us.
I submit the government has a moral duty to be accountable to the citizens. The Magna Carta of 1215 was the turning point of Kings powers being limited and through the generations Constitutions were prepared to protect citizens rights. In recent decades the political class has attempted to reverse these gains and citizens have so far been willing to give up their hard fought liberties.
This debate gives the country an opportunity to ensure the government becomes as accountable as they expect each citizen to be.
Are we up to the task of holding their feet to the proverbial fire?
Do rights come without equal responsibilities? I submit not. The "right" to tax is no different.
If one believes there is a moral right to tax, there must, by extension, be a higher moral requirement on those taking your money.
Taxation without representation.
Also derived from those hard fought battles of long ago.
I think we are right to look at this in the bigger context, against history and against the backdrop of human progress.
Unfortunately, it seems this generation cannot grasp the connection of current liberties, their erosion, and how we got here.
Are we so locked into our current levels of Comfort and complexity of life?
Can anyone doubt the Stages of Empires?
“1. The age of outburst (or pioneers).
2. The age of conquests.
3. The age of commerce.
4. The age of affluence.
5. The age of intellect.
6. The age of decadence.
7. The age of decline and collapse.”
Not sure who to attribute this to.
Where would you put us? Stage 6-7?
I will add this to the above:
All Empires fail, and for the same reasons: 1) Expense of military abroad, and subsidies at home. 2) Decline in domestic productivity (spoiled, parasitic citizens). 3) Corruption (illegal conduct) and decadence (unethical and immoral conduct) by leaders and citizens.
Yes there is a responsibility.The government should be doing its best to tax us as little as possible & not as much as possible.Even in a case of wanting to protect yourself the government is killing us with taxes like shot gun licenses tripling.If you were fortunate enough to get a hand gun license I understand that is $1,500.00 per year.So once again instead of helping people the government is hurting people & the criminals are not paying license fees.What kind of thinking is that & where in Gods name do they get their “Bright” ideas ??? The less taxes the more revenue & that can’t be denied.
Hand Gun licenses?
when did they start that back up?
Must be for the favored few.
Yes, all license fees have become revenue generators, vs. covering the administrative costs.
Yes,favored few is right like Nottage etc.They can defend themselves but we can’t !Tell me that’s not wrong.
I understand Vetrinarians are allowed to have a hand gun in order to dispatch large animals.
I have large guns for hunting but I need a personal defense gun for protection. I guess only the criminals are allowed to get them.
Something to think about.. The more laws a country has enacted, the more lawless the country becomes.. The more lawless a country becomes, the less freedom its citizens enjoy as political despotism takes root and then control..
A frightened population will accept and even elect totalitarian rule believing they are more protected, secure and shielded from physical and economic harm.. Regretfully, history teaches us that totalitarian governance only leads to the total loss of individual freedom and to eventual government enslavement.. Are we as a country heading in this direction?? Without question our economy is on a direct course to financial collapse and our basic rights and individual freedoms are imploding from disinterest and self-ignorance.. Increasing government imposed policies will eventually crush our individual sense of being creating a collective state similar to Cuba or Venezuela.. Wake up Bahamas, if we don’t act now, there may not be any freedom left to act..
There are no peaceful solutions possible once totalitarian rule becomes firmly established.. Cubans learned that, Venezuelans learned that and Americans are now learning that as well.. Will Bahamians learn that; only time will tell as our nation’s future is now at the crossroads….