I’m not in the habit of quoting Bertrand Russell, however, following the shambles in Somerset, I couldn’t help but recall the following quote:
“In all affairs it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.”
With this in mind, and given current situation in Somerset, is it not a good time to raise a big, but very simple, question: why exactly are we paying taxes?
Most people would understand that the basic logic behind taxation is that it funds services and infrastructure to allow society to function effectively. Be this in the form of roads, hospitals, schools or river dredging to ensure people’s private property is not damaged by avoidable floods.
But, if these services are not being supplied, how is taxation in any way justifiable?
Despite the scare mongering of the Left, and big government faux conservatives, these functions can be conducted without the need of the state. The state is there to serve the people, not the other way around.
As for the people of Somerset, any tax which they do pay is merely being used to fund an organisation which has been trying to create some kind of bird sanctuary out of their homes, regardless of the wishes of those that live in the affected area. Have we now, therefore, reached the point at which we can say that we have taxation without representation?
This isn’t the only area in which people are having taxes collected, and used against them. Just take a look at the vast number of hysterical left wing charities funded by taxpayers to lobby and campaign against the public’s wishes on a whole host of issues. Or how about the European Union full stop?
It must also surely be the case that the minute government pushes change on a population which requires manufacturing consent, then they have forfeited their right to tax those affected. If not, then what does this make of the people being taxed? Are they still actually citizens by dint of the ability to vote? Or are they now subjects given that any vote brings in a party which immediately enters a position of political consensus with the other parties to immediately ignore the concerns and wishes of these “citizens”.
As a result we have schools which fail to teach, hospitals which fail to provide adequate health care, border agencies which fail to manage the borders and numerous organisations which actively work against British people in conjunction with the EU and its democratic deficit.
So here I am, hanging a great big question mark on taxation.
What right does the government have to tax us?
We could learn fro the Americans with this, just wait till the Armed forces are away elsewhere in the world so can’t help the government then revolt, oh are armed forces are away elsewhere in the world lets do it now.
How much of the Somerset flooding was the fault of the EU? Lots, say Richard North and Charles Clover http://web.archive.org/web/20140914232415/http://www.centralsomersetgazette.co.uk:80/Somerset-flooding-EU-plan/story-20556464-detail/story.html
2007 Water Framework directive I believe. An open goal for UKIP. A chance to expose the LibLabCon for the liars they are, and yet nothing. UKIP will have to address this as it’s picking up traction around the net, and a lot of people are staring to ask the question. Is Farage as Euroskeptic as he seems?
We need to put behind us the idea that the Government serves the people. Such an idea belongs to the age when we had freedom, liberty and representative democracy.
The hallmarks of an out-of-control public sector are when State enterprises work for the benefit of employees rather than consumers and when Government Departments ignore criticism.
In any free society, the Mid-Staffs NHS scandal would have led to mass sackings and resignations at Cabinet level. Instead, the Prime Minster publicly said that he had “confidence” in the Chief Executive.
Farmers in Somerset are being flooded out of their homes and livelihoods as a direct result of the Environment Agency’s policy of not dredging, yet Chris Smith says publicly that he is “proud” of the EA’s work. Eric Pickles says that the flooding is caused by “global warming” and that foreign aid will help to resolve the issue.
No-one could describe this as representative of public opinion – yet no resignations will follow. No apologies will be heard. No-one will be held accountable. Environment Agency staff will continue to enjoy their careers as the victims of their policies continue to suffer.
We tend to think of the European Union as being undemocratic and dictatorial. It is, but we mustn’t make the mistake of thinking that returning power to Westminster will fix our problems.
It is the establishment – the self-satisfied political class – that needs to be replaced.
The magic bullet to a lot of problems is less government. As Reagan said, government is not the solution, government is the problem.
In the meantime, they will keep whipping up scares to justify their ever increasing role, such as global warming, sorry, climate change, terrorism, second hand smoke in cars etc or they will go the other route and find some social ill which they must intervene on as if they are our mother or father, such as fat, sugar, or God knows what nonsense.
The result is invariably more tax and more paternalism/ maternalism from mummy/daddy state and more crony socialism ruining the economy.
The relationship is only going to become more strained as the EU et al push more social changes on us – to our detriment, yet with our own money.