Why do Republicans perceive every tax as "punishing" something?

[dblack]

Gettng beaten up is mild compared to some of the consequences of not having health insurance ...

Certainly not if you die from your beating. Seriously, if this is all you got ....

and if you really think the government has become that punitive, it's still legal to leave.

Yes... the fallback position of authoritarians everywhere. Love it or leave it.

Seems to me that's exactly what you're saying about corporations.

Yep. You really don't see the difference? You don't have to leave the country to stop doing business with a insurance company (or an employer). You just tell them to fuck off.

Again, it's a false dichotomy and without it, your argument falls apart. If all you can offer is a 'choice' between submitting to government or corporations (or, as with ACA, both), you're not going to persuade people who think for themselves.

 

[dblack]

Whether it's punitive isn't the issue. It harms you. Therefore it punishes you.

I just don't see much point in the 'all taxation is theft' (or punishment) debate as a going concern. Discriminatory taxation, on the other hand, where government actively uses its power to tax to target people for punishment and reward, is the real problem. if we have flat taxes and no loopholes, most of what we despise about the current tax code would go away. Then we can talk about how to get rid of taxation together.

wrong. Taxes, period, are the problem. Some are worse than others, but all taxes are a problem. They all harm the people who have to pay them, and the proceeds are invariably put to nefarious purposes.

Jeez... fine. Tilt at windmills. Meanwhile, some of us will try to make things better in the real world. But honestly, we could use your help.

 

[JoeNormal]

Certainly not if you die from your beating. Seriously, if this is all you got ....



Yes... the fallback position of authoritarians everywhere. Love it or leave it.

Seems to me that's exactly what you're saying about corporations.

Yep. You really don't see the difference? You don't have to leave the country to stop doing business with a insurance company (or an employer). You just tell them to fuck off.

Again, it's a false dichotomy and without it, your argument falls apart. If all you can offer is a 'choice' between submitting to government or corporations (or, as with ACA, both), you're not going to persuade people who think for themselves.

I see corporations and government as two sides of the same coin - one being as evil (or good) as the other. Conservatives (in the black-and-white sense that seems to get them tingling) see corporations as the saviors of the world and government as the anti-christ.