- Joined
- Sep 3, 2011
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- 34,817
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- Look to your right... I'm that guy.
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- Political Leaning
- Centrist
Taxes: Whose money is it?
Several recent threads are prompting this question, but primarily the current thread about food stamps and welfare money and when/where recipients should be allowed to spend/access the money. Also, as I float around here on DP I see many different takes regarding the administration of tax money. Who should control it, who should have a say and to what degree, who "owns" it, and so on. Depending on the topic of the day, I see a lot on inconsistency regarding the source of revenue. Quite often, a person's opinion seems to vary depending on how emotional that particular issue is to them.
Before anybody thinks that I am covertly calling them out, I am not. I am guilty of this, too, and am aware of it. But, after watching and interacting with others I am being more self-reflective and wondering if more consistency is in order.
Tax money... AFTER it has left your possession and is in the government's possession... is it...
1) Still *your* money, individually? To the point that you should have a direct say in its handling that allows you to put conditions on its use?
2) Your money, but in a collective societal sense?
3) No longer, technically, your/our money money, but the government's money. We no longer have a direct say, and should only be limited to what our elected representatives do. (I'm sure the government votes for this one, but what they think is another topic)
4) Other?
Another side question: Should our individual positions be consistent, or vary subjectively based on a given topic (i.e.: military, welfare, education, etc.)?
Several recent threads are prompting this question, but primarily the current thread about food stamps and welfare money and when/where recipients should be allowed to spend/access the money. Also, as I float around here on DP I see many different takes regarding the administration of tax money. Who should control it, who should have a say and to what degree, who "owns" it, and so on. Depending on the topic of the day, I see a lot on inconsistency regarding the source of revenue. Quite often, a person's opinion seems to vary depending on how emotional that particular issue is to them.
Before anybody thinks that I am covertly calling them out, I am not. I am guilty of this, too, and am aware of it. But, after watching and interacting with others I am being more self-reflective and wondering if more consistency is in order.
Tax money... AFTER it has left your possession and is in the government's possession... is it...
1) Still *your* money, individually? To the point that you should have a direct say in its handling that allows you to put conditions on its use?
2) Your money, but in a collective societal sense?
3) No longer, technically, your/our money money, but the government's money. We no longer have a direct say, and should only be limited to what our elected representatives do. (I'm sure the government votes for this one, but what they think is another topic)
4) Other?
Another side question: Should our individual positions be consistent, or vary subjectively based on a given topic (i.e.: military, welfare, education, etc.)?