Posted on 03/27/2006 3:11:32 PM PST by Libloather
Want Tax Reform? Stop Paying Taxes
March 27, 2006
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Here's my idea. In addition to illegal immigration, many of us in this country are fed up with the federal tax system. We're just fed up with it. But over the years we've been intimidated into obeying. We call on our patriotism tendencies and our desires to do the right thing and so forth, but admit it: We're also scared to death that that's the one thing the federal government will not stop looking for until they find it, and that's every tax cheat in the country. But yet we need reform of this system. We need to reform it.
I mean, the tax code is punitive. Fewer and fewer people are paying federal income taxes, so the opportunity to reform the program is soon to vanish because once the minority is the one paying taxes and the majority of people are not paying federal income taxes, you have no hope for reform. So how do we do it? Well, we've tried any number of ways. We've proposed legislation. We have had books written. We have had speeches given. We have had pamphlets printed. Nothing works, and the reason is that members of Congress are just not going to give up the single greatest power they have, and that's social architecture that they can engage in with the tax code.
So, since Senator Specter and since Senator McCain and all the supporters of this amnesty program say, "Well, 12 million, 11 million? We can't do anything about it! We've got to come up with some way to deal with them already here because we can't deport them." Fine, how about if I we -- and I'm speaking hypothetically, just toying with this idea -- but how about if I, El Rushbo, were to write a tax book, and the idea I have is that we just stop paying taxes. Now, just bear with me on this. Just stop paying 'em. What if 40 or 50 million of us just refused to pay taxes. What are they going to do? (interruption) Well, Mr. Snerdley is yelling that they will get me. I will sacrifice myself for the good of the cause. But if 40 or 50 million -- it's hypothetical -- refuse to pay taxes, what are they going to do? They don't have that many IRS agents; they don't have that much jail space. They might actually build jails for this, though (laughing) and call it the Rush Limbaugh Correctional Facility. They might actually do it. But then what would have to happen because the government obviously needs revenue, we need for our government to perform various basic functions. But it could be a way to change the tax code, because if 40 or 50 million people just said, "The hell with it and dropped out," they'd have to come up with an alternative way of raising the money, and that's how we would get reform. That's how we would get the FairTax, the flat tax, a national sales tax, or whatever it is, one that we couldn't avoid paying because it would arrive every time we spent money.
Now, you say, "Well, Rush, how do you we avoid paying when taxes are withheld?" I understand. I understand that. There are ways around this, but that burden would fall on the shoulders of those who are self-employed and who do not have taxes withheld. It probably would lead to changing a law in five seconds that would require everybody have taxes withheld. (laughing) But my point is if the number of illegals is simply too large to deal with, the number of criminals is simply too large to deal with, and you're not going to have any enforcement mechanism, then all of this is just a bunch of jabberwocky about immigration. It's just designed to placate you and pander to you to make you think that they reeeeeally mean it this time.
OK, one more time:
You expect people to risk every damn dime of their assets in a tax revolt...when those same people are violating the same laws they allegedly want to be toughened up and more strictly enforced.
Do you see the disconnect yet?
As for the aside: sorry, you post as if (a) you don't read and (b) you don't bother to analyze what you read; you instead respond to what you think or wish I said.
I think Rush calls it "illustrating a point with absurdity". You missed the point.
"I think Rush calls it "illustrating a point with absurdity". You missed the point."
He calls it that, but he is a very clever man.
He won't call it "Floating a trial balloon", but that's also what it is.
I think so but - from above -
Fewer and fewer people are paying federal income taxes, so the opportunity to reform the program is soon to vanish because once the minority is the one paying taxes and the majority of people are not paying federal income taxes, you have no hope for reform.
Why do I see the IRS offshoring to Bangalore? In fact, it would be a great idea because non-americans would be even more ruthless in tracking down the tax cheats and deadbeats. And those Indians can be nasty.
Well, we've got to do something. And no one likes having their tactics turned back on themselves.
Currently my plan of boycotting mexican food doesn't seem like it will be all that effective.
I hate to say this, it's heresy, but a good stiff sharp recession would bring the issue into clearer focus.
Hey! The BBs paid into it all their lives, so don't try to hang this on them. This country deserves what's coming to it. Shhheeez, I can't believe I just typed that.
First off, you can fight the government--but not the way Rush advocates. Second, to push the French way to deal with lawbreaking as the appropriate way is the height of Gaullic gall--anyone can see how well Chirac and Villepin handled their riots. Third, you CAN imprison a million people--and the U.S. does. Fourth, the army and police haven't been called out to break tax protests (mostly because there haven't BEEN any tax protests, nor would there be as Rush advocates here), but you can bet it'll be dangerous if the police or army do decide not to follow orders, because it'll be a revolt against civil authority (a rightful one, but who knows how far that would go)?
The problem with the kind of authority Rush wants to buck is that it thrives on quiet disobedience. It can arrest in the middle of the night and legally harass people out of property if they are lawbreakers. What the government cannot do is break someone who is simply making it look bad by exposing the government's wrongdoing in a wholly public and legal way, because then the people doing so are subjecting themselves to the law. Civil obedience through total compliance with the law is far more effective in dealing with bureaucrats and politicos than civil disobedience is, especially if the law is smart enough to prepare for that disobedience. And the government is well-equipped to randomly punish enough protestors to break any such movement, Rush's bravado notwithstanding.
As an example, if people who wanted to protest the border lawbreaking drove from the El Paso and Brownsville highways north at the speed limit, two or three or four abreast, it would completely snafu traffic there, piss a lot of people off, and as another thread has noted, it'd be very difficult to prosecute the protestors for not breaking the law. It would also be easy for the protestors to point out that the traffic backup caused by these legal protestors is nothing compared to the traffic caused by ten million illegals driving our roads daily.
Agreed.
A good old-fashioned plate of humble pie would benefit a lot of folks who disdain hard work and make "easy money" and "gadgets" their gods. Not too tasty, perhaps, but good for the country.
"A good old-fashioned plate of humble pie would benefit a lot of folks who disdain hard work and make "easy money" and "gadgets" their gods. Not too tasty, perhaps, but good for the country."
Indeed! There are a supeabundance of deer overrunning everything. Thinning the herd would not be terrible. I disagree about the delicacy, however. Humble pie is cheap (free!) but it's good.
As recently as a couple of years ago, Rush was in denial that any type of tax reform such as the FairTax would ever happen since he believed it was politically impossible.
Obviously, he's one of the mouthpieces who has re-thought his notions and now realizes that there's a lot of impetus behind tax reform. You're right, though, in that he still doesn't realize the "flat tax" is just another form of income-based tax with almost all of the drawbacks of the present system (the idiotic "tax return on a postcard" notion notwithstanding).
Who knows, maybe he'll eventually do some real looking into the FairTax. Should he do so, I believe he'd be wholeheartedly for it.
That's the old "... don't tax you and don't tax me ..." syndrome to make sure your neighbor, rather than you, gets it in the skivvies ...
You seem unfamiliar with the Bear Stearns study of a bit over a year ago which persuasively showed that at that time there were 21 million illegal aliens (NOT 10 or 12 million as the government and media are now parroting).
By this time the total is probably up to around 25 million.
If the so-called "protest" by/for illegals is not sufficient "advance notice" of what's coming from outside our country, then we're all blind and deserve what we get. The way this seems to be shaping up is that the entire world's population will sneak into the country and demand that we make them "legal citizens" and provide unlimited largess (and, of course, all without paying taxes themselves).
Talk about WMD ...
You seem unfamiliar with the Bear Stearns study of a bit over a year ago which persuasively showed that at that time there were 21 million illegal aliens (NOT 10 or 12 million as the government and media are now parroting).
Interestingly it just so happens I got a bump on that one early this morning. An article even more applicable in today's controversy as it was at the time it was posted.
The Underground Labor Force is Rising to the Surface
Robert Justich and Betty Ng, CFA
January 3, 2005
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1424067/posts
If Boortz would repeat his insight about illegal aliens often enough he wouldn't need Rush, even though Rush appears to have gotten on board anyway.
What insight? Glad you asked: With The FairTax, illegals (and maybe "temporary guest workers" or whatever, depending on how the law is passed) WOULD ACTUALLY BE PAYING TAXES AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE THAN REGULAR CITIZENS. WHY? BECAUSE THEY WOULD GET ABSOLUTELY NO REBATES, PREBATES OR TAX REFUNDS!!! THAT's why.
New! KKAR-AM 1290 out of Omaha now streams "The Best of Boortz" Mondays 12am-3am Central (Sunday night 10pm-1am Pacific).
And WFTL-AM 850 out of Ft. Lauderdale now streams "The Best of Boortz" Saturdays 6pm-9pm Eastern See: http://FreedomKeys.com/boortzcast.htm#20
|
And, the richer the participant the greater the message.
The richer participants could afford it more easily.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
