Paying Taxes

 I'm an oddity in this day and age.  I don't mind paying taxes because I know that my taxes help pay for emergency services, maintenance and upkeep of the infrastructure of my local city, state and the country as a whole.  I know part of my taxes also provide jobs for hundreds of thousands of my fellow countrymen in state and federal civil service jobs.  I understand that occasionally taxes go up because the cost of everything goes up.

     What I don't like is the fact that my elected representatives are becoming more insulated from the people they represent and that they are becoming less responsive to the will of their electorate.  For example, when is the last time a regular, working-class American was allowed real face time with the Senator they elected into office?  And yet those Americans who are supposed to be serving me and you are giving all kinds of time to representatives of foreign businesses and (at the risk of sounding envious) to wealthy foreigners who donate large amounts of money to political action committees which help keep these "representatives" in a job.

     It ought not be the job of an elected official to raise money for the political party of which they are a member.  It is their job to represent all of their electorate, not just those who are members of the same political party.  It is not the job of elected representatives to spend so much of their time campaigning for themselves or for other members of the political party of which they are a member - that is not what they receive a paycheck from the taxpayers for.  If a politician has done a good job, that politician will, in all likelihood, get reelected.  If their performance is poor, they ought not be put back into office, no matter how much money they are willing to spend on a campaign, and the electorate ought to have more good sense than to vote for them because of party membership.

     Another thing I disagree with is the amount of my tax money that is wasted on so-called "pork barrel spending" and "ear-marks" added to bills.  It is the job and the duty of legislators to legislate wisely, not to benefit their friends, families, business acquaintances and big money donors.  A bill ought to be brought to the floor and passed or failed on its own merits, not because someone in the private sector somehow will benefit.  All too often lately, it seems you can't watch the news or read a newspaper without running across another politician being accused of corruption.  And yet, it seems, too few of them ever receive more than a slap on the wrist or, at best, they resign their office, go on to a lucrative new career and pay no penalty whatsoever.  These men and women take an oath of office when they are inaugurated.  They should be held by the citizenry to that oath.  It is, after all, a binding contract.

     The last problem I have with the taxes I pay is the amount of waste going to the military.  I'm not talking about the pay for our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen.  I'm referring to the vast fortune spent every year on no-bid contracts and on research and development of newer, bigger, better, more efficient ways of killing mass populations  - those items we call WMD or weapons of mass destruction.  More than half of our annual GNP goes to military spending.  More than we spend on health care, education and welfare combined.  And far too much of this wealth goes into the pockets of arms dealers and merchants of death.  President Eisenhower, upon leaving office, left us with this warning - a warning which we have not heeded:

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.  We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."

     As Americans we are guilty of not being an "alert and knowlegdeable citizenry".  It is high time this was changed.  I challenge anyone who reads this to educate themselves on what their elected representatives are doing and how they are spending your hard-earned money.  If you don't like what you find, then perhaps it is time to forget party loyalties and start voting for individuals, not party members.

Read My Lips - No New Emoluments

So Hillary Rodham Clinton is at it again.  Now she is seeking an appointment to an office for which she is not eligible.  The office in question is that of Secretary of State, under President-Elect Barack Obama.  The reason she is not eligible is because of Article 1, section 6 of the Constitution of the United States of America, otherwise known as the "Emoluments Clause", which states:

No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.

Senator Clinton herself voted for such a pay raise.  Even though the salary has been subsequently cut back to its earlier level (the so-called Saxbe fix), the Constitution itself does NOT provide for such a fix.  The bottom line is, when Senator Clinton was inaugurated, she swore an oath of office which reads:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the asme; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation of purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of teh office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

By seeking the office of Secretary of State, Mrs. Clinton is refusing to "support and defend" the Constitution.  By using the "Saxbe Fix", Mrs. Clinton is "purposefully trying to evade" Article 1, section 6 of the Constitution of the United States of America.  If we cannot trust our elected officials to follow through on their oath of office; if we cannot trust our elected officials to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, which provides the framework by which we live, then this country is in deeper trouble than a mere economic recession.

Fuck Kid Rock

So this asshole gets into a fight - probably started by him.  In a waffle house, wherein a window gets broken.  He gets arrested and his sentence for acting like an asshole in public is 80 hours community service.  Then he begs the judge to let his upcoming concert playing for the troops in Iraq count as his community service and the judge refuses.  So now on his website, he has the judge's name, address, email, etc posted so his fans can harass the judge.

Fuck Kid Rock.  It's about time these celebrity douchebags start seeing jail time instead of community service.  Let's face it---if you or I were the person involved in a public fist fight, we'd see at least a couple months in county lockup.  Why is it these celebrities almost never have to suffer the same punishment that the average American does?  Why are these low-class ghetto- and trailer-trash constantly allowed to walk with community service?  If I were among the troops in Iraq and that piece of shit was performing, my weapon would "accidently" discharge right in his smug face.

And since I'm betting you're an egotistical asshole who googles your own name, FUCK YOU, KID ROCK!  I hope you die real soon, you fucking douchebag.

Observations, Basic Premises, Assorted Ideas.

You are a grain of sand on a beach. If you are taken away from the beach, you are nothing. Or rather you are still a grain of sand, but your loss is of no consequence to the beach. The beach without you, is still a beach. You, without the beach, are merely a grain of sand.


The beach is composed of a very large, but finite number of grains of sand. Take one grain away and the beach is still a beach. Take away enough grains of sand and the beach ceases to exist.


An individual is a member of society. An individual taken away from society is only important to himself/herself. Society is still society without an individual. Take enough individuals away from society, and society ceases to exist.

What is good for society is generally also good for the individual. Sometimes it is not. This is called sacrifice. All members of society must be expected to, and must be willing to, make sacrifices. To put it bluntly, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few (or the one)." This is called "equality". Equality is the basis of society. If you disagree, prove I'm is wrong - go live in the woods by yourself for a year. Have NO contact with another human (or group of human beings). Otherwise, admit you are wrong. To prove this thesis wrong, you need merely remove all individuals of any given society, then show that society.



To understand basic principles of physics, is to understand basic principles of society. Just as some elements are more stable than others, some societies are more stable than others. However, when broken down to the level of the individual, the analogy no longer applies. Individual atoms follow laws predictably. Individual humans do not.


Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying the only two certainties in life are death and taxes. Understand: You are going to die. This is the one inevitable fact of life. Taxes are only a certainity if you don't want to go off and live in the woods. I will admit that an individual has the power (not the right) to refuse to pay taxes, but then the individual must be willing to give up all rights, priveleges, advantages, etc. granted by the state, including the right to own property, etc. that are normally granted to those who pay taxes and for which guarantee of said rights, priveleges, etc., etc. is made possible. The less you are willing to pay in taxes, the lower the quality of the government. This is a basic principle of capitalism. Better stated as "You get what you pay for." or "Caveat Emptor".

In simpler language, you only have "rights" if there is a guarantor of those rights. The state is the guarantor of the rights granted by the state. That's basic politics. The state only guarantees those rights which the state legitimately recognizes. In other words, an individual doesn't have the "right" to grant itself "rights" which the state does not or is not obligated to recognize. Your taxes are the fees by which the provision of those rights, priveleges, entitlements (and revenge or justice against those who violate those "rights") are paid for.



A state only has legitimacy within it's own borders. Outside of those borders, a state only has whatever legitimacy is agreed upon by itself and neighboring states, or whatever "legitimacy" it can force other states to accept. This is not "natural law", merely human behaviour. (The idea of "natural law" is a fallacy.)


A state has the power (not necessarily the right) to remove or add rights and/or priveleges at it's "leisure". An individual, or group of individuals, had the power (not necessarily the right) to resist such incursions(?) by the state. This is called "insurrection", if an insurrection is successful, it may sometimes be referred to as a "revolution". The more conflict within the state, the more likely an insurrection is to happen. To avoid insurrection, a state merely needs to avoid internal conflict. This is only possible when all individuals agree to the necessity of compromise. (Assuming a just society).


Human beings, having evolved from animals, are part animal. We have "instincts". Pack instincts, mating instincts, survival instincts. The difference between humans and animals is that humans can learn to control their instincts. The more you learn to control your instincts, the more "human" you become.

A Reasonable Non-Partisan Political Platform

I spend a lot of time thinking about politics in America and how things ought to be instead of how they are. Here is the platform I've come up with that I would like to see our political leaders adopt. It is reasonable and relatively non-partisan.

1) Corporate Accountability:
Any corporate official caught causing something like the Enron debacle or the current financial disater would have all of their wealth stripped and handed over to the people they stole from, anything left would be put into the social security fund. The criminals themselves would receive a life sentence - non-commutable, no chance for parole. Those who steal from their employees, or lie/cheat/steal from the American public to increase their wealth should pay dearly for doing so.

2) Immigration:
All illegal aliens would be rounded up and sent back to their country of origin at the expense of the people who hired them. The people who hired them would also lose their business, which would be sold off to pay transportation costs of the illegals and whatever is left would go into the Social Security fund. Anyone wishing to immigrate to the US must a) Have a job waiting. b) Must be able to speak/read/write English fluently. c) Must take a video-taped oath to put the interest of the USA above all others, including their religion. No one with a prior conviction for any felony act would be permitted into the US.

3) Welfare Reform:
I would make it so anyone currently receiving welfare or who signs up for welfare in the future would have to agree to: a) an epidermal birth control device so they cannot have children while on welfare. b) 20 hours of community service and education per week (after all, they can't get a job without at least a high school diploma). c) They are only allowed welfare until they have an education and job skills, then the government would share relocation expenses for them to move to an area where there are jobs available.

4) Official Misconduct:
I would ask for laws to be passed that ANY elected official - including the President - who is found guilty of committing a felony would lose their right to ever hold public office and would be sent to jail for the maximum term for that crime. I would remove the Presidential right to pardon criminals. Any elected official at the federal level found guilty of accepting bribes, kickbacks or "quid pro quo" favors in return for access to their political power would get a life sentence with no chance for parole and a hefty fine of around $10,000/year they've spent in office.

5) The Budget & Bush's Legacy Deficit:
I would cut government spending by limiting the bloated staffs of government bureaucrats and elected officials. By forcing a moratorium on the billions of dollars being wasted on military spending. I would raise the wages of the soldiers, sailors, marines, etc and make sure they have the best health care money can buy - even after their term of service is up. I would cut all spending on military research and call for a moratorium for the next 10 years. I would cut the billion dollars a year we're spending on mercenary troops like Blackwater. I would raise the taxes of all corporations and call for tariffs and eliminate government contracts for any corporation that has outsourced jobs to other countries. On behalf of the people of the United States of America, I would bring a class action law suit against G. W. Bush and every key member of his administration to recoup the money wasted by them. Elected officials should and must be held accountable for their actions.

6) Gun Control:
Hunting Rifles and shotguns would be permitted to those with a valid hunting license or registered members of a Gun Club. Automatic and semi-automatic weapons would be highly taxed and only available to those who pass a psych test and meet stringent requirements. Handguns would be permitted only to those who pass a psych test. All handguns would have to be fired once before being sold and the bullet "fingerprint" put into a national database so any crime committed with that handgun would be instantly traceable to the person who bought the gun. No "cop killer" type ammo would be allowed to be manufactured or sold within US borders, no arms dealers would be allowed to sell weaponry to non-governmental personnel.

7) Property Rights:
No foreign country would be allowed to own property within US borders. No foreign national would be permitted to own property other than a house. No foreign country, individual or corporation would be allowed to run key US operations, such as harbors, canals, airports, etc.

8) Trade:
NAFTA would be eliminated. It is NOT in the interest of the American working class to globalize the economy until the world itself has achieved some amount of stabiity. We would NOT trade with any nation that condones or supports terrorism, including Saudi Arabia.

9) Israel and the Middle-East:
All funding to Israel would cease until they agree to end their nuclear program and disarm their nuclear weapons. There can be no peace in the middle-east if one country is allowed nuclear capabilities and none of their "enemies" are.

10) Abortion and Sex Education:
Abortion would available on an as needed basis, but sex education and birth control MUST be taught to children to minimize the need for abortions. Although I agree with a woman's right to choose, I also believe that with so many other options available, abortion should not be the defacto method of birth control. A little education goes a long way.

11) Taxes:
We would adopt a flat rate income tax with only personal deductions, mortgage/rental costs deductions allowable. Corporations would still be charged a gradient with minimal deductions and no loopholes. Taxes should be paid by those most able to afford it, like it or not. That should be the cost of being a millionaire or billionaire in the US.

12) Bipolarchy:
The two party system would be abolished. Anyone seeking public office would have to win on their own merits, their personal record and their stance on the issues.

13) Crime:
a) All street gangs would be considered terrorist cells. Gang members would be given 1 chance to turn themselves in and denounce their gang affilitations. They would be offered reduced sentence/probation for any non-violent offense. After 1 year, all remaining gang members would be rounded up and treated as terrorists. Any violent crime committed by a gang member would be treated as if it were a terrorist act committed against the United States of America. b) All criminal attorneys, as a condition of their licensing, would have to agree to a certain amount of free legal work for those who can't afford it. c) All "victimless crimes" would be reduced to misdemeanor status and would see no jail time. First time offenders would be let off with a warning.

14) Education:
All private schools and educational facilities would lose all government funding. All government funding for education would ONLY be available to public schools. It is in our best interest that ALL of our children have the best education possible and the basis for class/religious bigotry ended. If the wealthy or those of religious persuasion feel their children are too good to be educated with the "masses", then they should pay for it out of their own pocket.

15) Health Care:
I would raise taxes on pharmaceutical companies and health insurance companies and cap what they are allowed to charge, or alternatively, find a way to fund a national health care system. I think this could be done by forcing all health care providers into non-profit or not-for-profit status. When it comes to the health of American citizens, people ought not be allowed to profit to the extent they do. All pharmaceutical research would be non-profit only. Let's face it...the temptation to withhold cures of terminal illnesses is too great when the medical community can continue to charge people for treatment and medication. All doctors, like lawyers, would have to agree to a certain amount of free service to the community.

Not really part of the platform, but part of my philosophy is that the entertainment industry should be in the highest tax bracket in the country. Entertainers/Sports Figures, etc, offer NOTHING to society except a way to waste some time. They offer no solutions to any problems and therefore should not merit the sort of lifestyle they're allowed to live. Let's face it, paying someone millions of dollars a year because they can throw a ball or have a pretty face or because they own an entertainment production/distribution company is simply ridiculous.