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talkpoliticsThesis: Once some sort of democratic civilisation is attained tax rates and civilisational complexity are necessarily linked.
The attempts by the Alt-Right and Libertarians to decouple tax from civilisational complexity and the needs of the participant voters in democratic institutions will IMHO lead to even further alienation of the voting public. Which is sort of the point really. When voters feel completely alienated from the political process they may riot, but it won't do much good, and will do a lot of harm. And the totalitarians can pick up the pieces.
The thing is that the folk at the bottom of the heap have to be looked after too. Even the Roman Empire had the dole. When the layers and the structure of society get so complicated, it takes resources to keep the thing going. Another as important thing is simplification is worse. By a country mile.
So... my contention is that the folk who deny the costs of modern life, and who live in some mythical past of rugged frontiersmen, or noble Lords sufficient unto themselves, just aren't socialised properly, or are playing with a few cards missing.
So how is the thesis flawed; wherein is the worm of doubt? Surely there must be a point where, maybe with AI, civilisational complexity can be managed cheaply? Resources can be directed where they are needed, with little wastage or excess. This may be possible, however, we might balk at the prospect of letting our lives be run in some respects by an AI. And that's not about money or reduced tax-takes.
I would contend that if we don't want cheap solutions, because they unsettle or offend some part of ourselves, we have to be prepared to pay for the expensive ones.
But I'm pretty sure there are other opinions out there.
The attempts by the Alt-Right and Libertarians to decouple tax from civilisational complexity and the needs of the participant voters in democratic institutions will IMHO lead to even further alienation of the voting public. Which is sort of the point really. When voters feel completely alienated from the political process they may riot, but it won't do much good, and will do a lot of harm. And the totalitarians can pick up the pieces.
The thing is that the folk at the bottom of the heap have to be looked after too. Even the Roman Empire had the dole. When the layers and the structure of society get so complicated, it takes resources to keep the thing going. Another as important thing is simplification is worse. By a country mile.
So... my contention is that the folk who deny the costs of modern life, and who live in some mythical past of rugged frontiersmen, or noble Lords sufficient unto themselves, just aren't socialised properly, or are playing with a few cards missing.
So how is the thesis flawed; wherein is the worm of doubt? Surely there must be a point where, maybe with AI, civilisational complexity can be managed cheaply? Resources can be directed where they are needed, with little wastage or excess. This may be possible, however, we might balk at the prospect of letting our lives be run in some respects by an AI. And that's not about money or reduced tax-takes.
I would contend that if we don't want cheap solutions, because they unsettle or offend some part of ourselves, we have to be prepared to pay for the expensive ones.
But I'm pretty sure there are other opinions out there.
(no subject)
Date: 11/8/17 23:03 (UTC)"What if the government was SO irredeemable, that the boring, difficult option of working within it to fix it is just entirely off the table? Then what's left is the exciting option, where we get to break stuff, shit on the leaders, and feel good about refusing to participate in government."
Whooo! FUN TIMES.
Maintenance is boring. Finding reasonable solutions that stand a chance of being implemented is not just unpopular, it is seen as losing. Quiet friendly adults are rarely ever recognized or lionized, but any social system - whether high taxes or low - that creates them and then enables them, is a better system.
IMHO. :D
(no subject)
Date: 12/8/17 11:01 (UTC)Maintenance is boring. And also necessary. And often expensive. But not as expensive as having to buy or craft an whole new
vehiclepolity. Not to recognise this is a sign of dysfunction or even insanity, especially given the recent examples of nation-tearing-down-and-never-quite-rebuilding of various kinds we have seen.