Taxation...

[Peterkin]

45 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

Will that result in a happier country, after all, money is only a means to an end?

Open and fair competition for the wage-earner's custom, or for the provision of public facilities, will certainly result in a happier country than tax cuts and subsidies to monopolies. Graft takes a lot of the bang out a tax buck, and having the consumer in thrall can add a great deal of excess profit to corporate coffers and reduction of the consumer's buying power - resulting in ever more income disparity, which immediately translates to political and social disparity.

That doesn't rule out the public ownership and government control of essential services. Some things are far more efficiently done according to a long-term, comprehensive plan than periodic contract renewal and market adjustment. 

However, there is a great danger in government being in charge of a service and contracting it out to private companies - both in corruption and quality control. The tax-payer doesn't actually know who is in charge of deploying his money to its full potential.

Edited November 6, 2021 by Peterkin

[dimreepr]

23 hours ago, Phi for All said:

If this were true, I don't think the wealthy would have as many problems paying their taxes. What they forget is that paying their fair share of their success within the system allows those who aren't as successful to prosper and bring their gifts and skills to the economy, which often don't revolve around making a profit or accumulating wealth.

It's not that they forget, Marcus Rashford for instance is a beacon of virtuous wealth/fame, it's that they never really understood the value of wealth/influence...

11 hours ago, J.C.MacSwell said:

It's a tool...you still need to use it properly.

It's a concept... you need to understand it first, the only mechanical advantage of money is dividing a pig into veg...