Starving the beast
The latest in a recent spate of temporary government shutdowns, the Rhode Island government will shut down most of its operations for 12 days.
This warms my heart! I've been glad, of course, when government shutdowns have occurred in the past due to the two state-sponsored parties being unable to come to agreement on how much money to confiscate from people and what to spend it on (i.e. budget debate impasses). But for governments to be shutting down from lack of tax income--this is a whole new ball game (at least in recent memory). It shows, I think, that it is potentially possible to "starve the beast" and force government to waste away, particularly as envisioned in agorism. We should all try to do our part by engaging in as much black and gray market economic activity as reasonably feasible (like when you pay a babysitter or buy produce from an acquaintance). What the government can't see, it can't tax!
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August 26th, 2009 - 16:25
Could this be the reason there are so many fair tax supporters in Washington?
August 26th, 2009 - 16:59
I’m not sure I follow. Do you mean people that support it because they think it will help starve the government, or people that support it because they think it will bring in more revenue?
August 26th, 2009 - 17:18
I was referring to the congresspeople that have signed on as cosponsors of the fair tax bill. I think this bill will gain momentum when income tax revenue is down enough for the sales tax to bring in more revenue.