When takers outvote makers

JS Online ^ | 8-8-09 | Jim Burkee

[Da Coyote]

For many years, our local newspaper (far, far ahead of the New York Journalist Amateurs) had on the top of its editorial page the following: “Who’s gonna pull the wagon when everybody wants to ride?” The picture had one poor man - with a question mark over his head - looking at a wagon full of (liberals, of course).

True then. True now.

Except - we aren’t gonna take it.

Fair warning.

[Indy Pendance]

This was posted in our lib newspaper. I’m not going to take it.

[FreeSouthernAmerican]

No fun at all. We are in dire straits.

[Indy Pendance]

Aren’t you all trying to think of ways to avoid the government?

Live Free Or Die.

[pharmamom]

Easy answer: if you are not paying taxes of some kind (income, FICA or taxes on investments), you don’t vote. Or you don’t vote if you are a net “taker” versus a net producer. Or if you are receiving a check from the government of any kind, except for a system like social security to which you have contributed, you don’t vote.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

“In layman’s terms, when they are retired and no longer paying taxes, government-dependent retirees favor raising everyone else’s taxes to pay for their benefits.”

I have GOT to believe that most actual retirees who have paid a lifetime into SS would rather stop OTHER forms of gummint largesse as UNEARNED benefits to people and other gummints.

[Kudsman]

The deeper question we should be debating is this: What happens to our democracy(I thought we were supposed to be a Representative Republic) when a majority of American voters depend on the government for a paycheck? Our "Republic" ceases to exist. Long live the Social Democracy as evisioned by Von Engels.

[FreeSouthernAmerican]

“Aren’t you all trying to think of ways to avoid the government?”

How do you mean? That could be interpreted a couple of ways.

[Indy Pendance]

What’s the answer? Landowners vote? Take a civics test? Just asking, not advocating at this time.

[Cacique]

btt

[VermiciousKnid]

“The America of my time line is a laboratory example of what can happen to democracies, what has eventually happened to all perfect democracies throughout all histories. A perfect democracy, a “warm body” democracy in which every adult may vote and all votes count equally, has no internal feedback for self-correction…. Once a state extends the franchise to every warm body, be he producer or parasite, that day marks the beginning of the end of the state. For when the plebs discover that they can vote themselves bread and circuses without limit and that the productive members of the body politic cannot stop them, they will do so, until the state bleeds to death, or in its weakened condition the state succumbs to an invader — the barbarians enter Rome.”

To Sail Beyond the Sunset Robert A.Heinlein

[FreeSouthernAmerican]

People who actually pay taxes?

[sionnsar]

Easy answer: if you are not paying taxes of some kind (income, FICA or taxes on investments), you don’t vote. ...

Easy answer -- not so easy to implement.

[Kudsman]

That idea went out many decades ago when non-property owners were given the right to vote. It has incrementally increased to everyone having a vote. Now illegals vote, the dead vote, felons vote and Acorn types vote numerous times. I seriously doubt you are going to find any politician with a platform for poll taxing. The zombies would riot.

[FreeSouthernAmerican]

Sure it is. Set an age limit for those already registered and on government assistance(i.e. grandfather clause) and no one who is not already registered to vote and is on government assistance can no longer register.

[JimRed]

Aristotle had argued that political participation required property ownership, since those who did not own property "have no share in the state."

Mixed feelings on that one. The ruling classes have at times set it up so that few of the "lower class" could ever become property owners. But it should relate to taxes; all should participate to earn their share in the state.

[Indy Pendance]

I don't know what the nuance is you see, but I'm all about removing as much government from my life as possible. If that means avoiding the government, that's my top priority. Rescind regulations, remove unconstitutional departments such as the Ed dept. Defund all lobbyist organizations, such as ACORN, etc. Stream line, fire and streamline, tackle the IRS, pledge hard line adherence to the constitution. There's no other way. This mushy liberalism, communism WILL BE DEFEATED or we will wither and become Obamica.

[Deagle]

You’re more right than you thing! Most of use elderly Social Security folks would rather give up receivables rather that soak the younger with higher taxes. In addition, I and many others would vote against higher benefits for US just because it would come from the younger generation.

Most of us have children and realize that it is going to cost them so we do actually vote for our futures (for our kids and grandkids)... So, it’s time to realize that we are not so selfish that we would vote for benefits for ourselves...