Thanatos
11/7/2013 4:47:00 AM
In article <l5f3nb$fbu$2@news.albasani.net>,
"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
> BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:
> >"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
> >>BTR1701 <a54b123@webnntp.invalid> wrote:
> >>>On Nov 6 2013 7:28 AM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
> >>>>BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:
> >>>>>RichA <rander3127@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>>>>>Listening to that, it made me sick.
>
> >>>>>Better than reaching into the pockets of everyone else for even more tax
> >>>>>money.
>
> >>>>You're suddenly an advocate of sin taxes?
>
> >>>I don't even believe in sin. I'm an atheist.
>
> >>But you're advocating taxing a mind-altering drug. That's not groovy, man.
> >>Peace out.
>
> >>They're called "sin taxes", setting up the excise tax system as a church
> >>and the state legislature as moral arbiters. It's a cynical term, you know.
>
> >I don't really see any difference between taxing sales of things like
> >alcohol and drugs and taxing other things like cars and food. They're
> >all just stuff. If taxing one is okay, no reason taxing the other should
> >off limit.
>
> The bit that's not ok is the legislative body patting itself on the back,
> claiming they can modify human behavior by raising taxes, while at the
> same time increasing revenues.
I agree that the only legitimate use of the government's taxing
authority is to collect money to pay to run the government. Using the
taxing authority to modify citizen behavior is repugnant.
As long as my behavior isn't illegal, it's none of the government's
business in the first place, let alone the proper function of government
to try and force me through taxation to stop doing something I'm legally
entitled to do, or to start doing something I'm not legally required to
do.