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Was busy dropping facts about the current political situation (actual facts backed up with sources) and stated that I thought that the only way to correct current political corruption and overreach was to let the current administration continue to do what they're doing because a.) They're going to anyway and b.) people have short memories and yeah, no matter how you feel about Trump et al, they are abusing things - but then that much power shouldn't have been consolidated to just a few people. Been that way for decades... but anyway...

Dude I've known for like 5 years comes back with general insults to my intelligence and threats to our friendship. In short, acting the exact polarizing way I was just pointing out among the more radical left and right. It was "instant REEE, just add water" reaction.

First, if you're going on about someone's intelligence, it's probably because you have inadequacies in that department yourself. Most especially if the other person never brings that up.

Second, don't ever threaten me because I'll follow through because I'm going to take you at your word. Our friendship must not have meant that much because that's what he was threatening. But, yeah, Imma take you at your word. Threaten to "beat me up" or kill me? Better knock me out with the first punch and, yeah, Imma come after you. Threaten to tell someone something about me to blackmail me? I'll tell them myself and not let you know so you can be seen as the evil moron you are. Things like that.

So, yeah, no more conversing. Just "I hate you and everything you stand for and I don't like what you're saying so you can't say anything."

And all he had to do was say something civil instead like "I don't want to have this conversation" or "I can't agree with you and I don't think we're going accomplish anything but an argument here" or something like that. I mean, geez, I'd have actually respected him for that. But as it stands, if I ever see him in town, he needs to pretend he doesn't know me.

Where is all this stupidity coming from???

Was busy dropping facts about the current political situation (actual facts backed up with sources) and stated that I thought that the only way to correct current political corruption and overreach was to let the current administration continue to do what they're doing because a.) They're going to anyway and b.) people have short memories and yeah, no matter how you feel about Trump et al, they *are* abusing things - but then that much power shouldn't have been consolidated to just a few people. Been that way for decades... but anyway... Dude I've known for like 5 years comes back with general insults to my intelligence and threats to our friendship. In short, acting the exact polarizing way I was just pointing out among the more radical left and right. It was "instant REEE, just add water" reaction. First, if you're going on about someone's intelligence, it's probably because you have inadequacies in that department yourself. Most especially if the other person never brings that up. Second, don't ever threaten me because I'll follow through because *I'm going to take you at your word*. Our friendship must not have meant that much because that's what he was threatening. But, yeah, Imma take you at your word. Threaten to "beat me up" or kill me? Better knock me out with the first punch and, yeah, Imma come after you. Threaten to tell someone something about me to blackmail me? I'll tell them myself and not let you know so you can be seen as the evil moron you are. Things like that. So, yeah, no more conversing. Just "I hate you and everything you stand for and I don't like what you're saying so you can't say anything." And all he had to do was say something civil instead like "I don't want to have this conversation" or "I can't agree with you and I don't think we're going accomplish anything but an argument here" or something like that. I mean, geez, I'd have actually respected him for that. But as it stands, if I ever see him in town, he needs to pretend he doesn't know me. Where is all this stupidity coming from???

28 comments

It's simple:

If you're like most people, 25% of your pay is taken in taxes. That is to say that you spend 15 minutes of every hour forced to work without pay. There's a word for that: slavery.

[–] CDanger 0 points (+0|-0)

That's a good example, but some might argue it isn't really slavery since you still get to keep 75% and slaves keep nothing. I don't find that particularly convincing since almost everyone would find keeping 1% and the state keeping 99% essentially slavery and it doesn't make a lot of sense to find the point of demarcation...

I like to consider instead the obligation to work; citizens are forced to work and contribute to the state or become homeless, starve, and receive no medical care. If you don't pay your property taxes in government currency, you will lose your house. To pay that, you are forced to acquire the government's currency and pay taxes. To trade with other citizens you are forced to pay taxes. It is slavery because there is no way to opt out of the system. Even if you try to live off the land, there are hunting and fishing licenses, zoning laws, etc that force you into the system. The lack of alternative outside the system is what makes it my mind slavery.

Any amount of time where you are forced to work without pay is slavery. It doesn't matter how it's chopped up or what semantics you use.

citizens are forced to work

Slavery.

contribute to the state

Arbeit macht Frei!

receive no medical care

It is not the government's obligation to provide medical care.

If you don't pay your property taxes in government currency, you will lose your house

Which means you don't own it. You rent it. Congrats, you paid $200K to rent your house and land to be able to lose it over a $2000 delinquent tax bill.

forced to acquire the government's currency and pay taxes

The Federal Income Tax was not implemented until 1913. Good ol' Uncle Sam worked just fine without stealing from us by levying tariffs.

To trade with other citizens you are forced to pay taxes

No. You are forced to pay taxes on the trade of anything the government considers currency or taxable tangible assets or an asset converted into currency. This is why gov can't stand cryptocurrency. They want to tax it and control it but they can't. They can't prove your holdings are in crypto.

Even if you try to live off the land, there are hunting and fishing licenses

You do not need a hunting or fishing license to hunt or fish on your own land in many places. Some, yes. But not all.

zoning laws

Aren't that unreasonable. It prevents your neighbor from treating their property like a toxic dump and cause you to sprout cancer or start defecating out of your ears. Some laws exist for a good reason.