If freedom isn't free, then why do so many whine about having to pay taxes?

[devilgrrl]

Just thought I'd ask. :popcorn:

[anonymous171]

1. "Freedom isn't free" is an evil phrase

[devilgrrl]

2. Isn't it the dumbest thing you've ever heard?

agreed

[anonymous171]

6. Yep. Putting any kind of value on the natural human right to freedom is disgusting

And also stupid. Very stupid

[patrice]

11. THAT'S the heart of it!! Bravo! In the U.S., Money IS the measure of all things. We are Idolators.

[unblock]

18. it's not an evil phrase

more apt is the original, long form, "the price of freedom is eternal vigilence."

the evil part lies in how it's used -- as part of the rhetorical arsenal of right-wingers to object to anything liberal.

[jobycom]

3. I suspect I'll steal that line and use it liberally.

:applause:

I guess to the right freedom isn't free, but they are only willing to pay in the lives of others.

[Warpy]

4. They're just fine with having your children die in stupid wars

but don't you dare touch a dime of their money to pay for those wars!

[rfranklin]

5. That's what they refer to..they want you to die for their country...

Taxes are just too personal.

[progressoid]

25. Yep - you only pay for freedom with blood (preferably somebody else's blood).

Not with civil service or dissent or voting for pansy Democrats. And definitely not by paying taxes.

[Ozymanithrax]

7. Freedom isn't free...nothing in life is free...but the best things in life are not valued in cash

Taxes, in my opinion, are user's fees.

[Bluerthanblue]

8. great question-

:hi:

k&r

[ParkieDem]

9. Because

Taxes can be seen as an imposition and encumbrance upon freedom, rather than the price paid for it. As John Marshall said, "The power to tax is the power to destroy."

I don't agree with this entirely, but certainly understand it. I believe my freedom is impeded when I am forced to pay taxes supporting wars I don't agree with.

[Viking12]

10. Doesn't my yellow ribbon cover the tab?

[Uncle Joe]

12. Freedom is free, it's empire that costs you arms, legs, blood and treasure.

I also believe the "whining about paying taxes" is directly related to the astronomical cost of maintaining a world empire.

Thanks for the thread, devilgrrl.

[Tippy]

13. Who are the biggest whiners? The greedy!

[n2doc]

14. -cause it's so much easier to borrow from the Chinese! n/t

[Maru Kitteh]

15. What they really mean is that someone else should pay for it, preferably by dying so they can

construct really gawd awful websites and sell commemorative plates.

[cbdo2007]

16. I agree. Also, I wonder....what freakin' tax rate do they think is fair???

Tax rates under Obama are lower than they have been under any President EVER!!!

Somebody needs to ask these a-holes what they think the tax rate should be and how they'll pay for a Trillion dollars of spending based on their idiotic answer.

[LeftinOH]

17. -but empty slogans ARE free.

[doc03]

19. They mean other people died for their freedom, screw taxes. n/t

[newtothegame]

20. Easy. They disagree with where their taxes go to. No mystery here. nt

[cbdo2007]

21. Many do....but many also just say blanket statements regarding taxes being "too high".

Like yesterday when the guy crashed the plane into the building and one of my coworkers came back from lunch. I said, "he had a grievance with the IRS and that was an IRS building he crashed in to" she said, "I wondered when we would start seeing more people protest their high taxes. We all pay too much in taxes."

[devilgrrl]

22. I'm sick of hearing that. US citizens pay the lowest taxes on the globe... next to Somalia.

:crazy:

[newtothegame]

23. They ARE way too high. We blow through an unbelievable amount of money that doesn't need to be spent

Re-prioritize, re-efficientize ( is that a word? :) ), and taxes probably WOULD be lower.

[devilgrrl]

26. They too high for people making less than $250,000 a year! That's not the case for those making more

!

[cbdo2007]

32. In fact, people making $350 Million per year pay less % taxes than those making $70,000.

See this article this week which got ZERO play here on DU?

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-18/top-400-earners-in-u-s-averaged-345-million-in-2007-irs-says.html

[cbdo2007]

30. That is absolutely true....but that is a different issue than "taxes are too high."

Nobody on either side is saying the govt. doesn't waste a sh*tload of money on stuff that doesn't need to be spent...but there is no argument FOR the blanket statement that "taxes are too high" especially when the leaders on BOTH sides are the cause of it being too high.

[athenasatanjesus]

24. A right wing catch phrase that becomes hypocritical when analyzed in depth ?

Who knew?

[MadHound]

27. It isn't that people don't want to pay taxes,

It's that they don't like what their taxes are used for. I don't like the fact that my tax dollars are being used to fund illegal, immoral wars that are going to, in the end, destroy this country.

Most people don't terribly mind paying taxes, but almost everybody has some sort of beef with what they're used on.

[Throd]

28. Because the government blows money on a bunch of stupid, unnecessary shit.

[KonaKane]

35. Agreed. And we have a process for addressing that problem.

Ramming planes into buildings is not in it.

[proud patriot]

29. I love asking republicans that

:evilgrin:

[KonaKane]

31. Taxation has always been an irretractable facet of a democratic society

The only thing we can do is our best to see that it is not exhorbitant, and is instituted fairly. Stack just didn't want to pay them at all, and hell neither do I....but I dont ram planes into buildings because I choose to participate in a democratic society.

[Bluerthanblue]

33. kick-

:hi:

[madville]

34. Everyone should pay equally, single, married, etc

We were comparing notes at the office. I had more withheld than two other guys in the same paygrade as I am. I got $600 back. One of them got $7,000 back and the other received almost $9,000. We do the same job and almost have the same income. I actually pay taxes and they both receive back almost double what they had withheld so they are making money from doing their taxes. All because I am single and they are married with kids. They get child tax credits, HOH, and qualify for EIC, I get squat.

You know what though. They are always broke and and living paycheck to paycheck while I always have plenty of money. So it wouldn't be worth it to be married or have kids just for the tax breaks but it is in no way "fair" that I and others essentially have to have a portion of our income redistributed to them just because they do.

[devilgrrl]

36. Great comment!

Thank you for bringing up single people - we get hosed.

[Canuckistanian]

37. Remember how they screamed about "paying taxes is patriotic"?

They don't seem to realize that those taxes are responsible for their "freedoms" - exactly as they define it. By providing a robust armed force for their defence.

[Blue_Tires]

38. sigged