taken from a textbook in a university level econ class i'm taking.


What a shame and a disgrace that this is where the state of economic education is in today's society. Really? The expropriation of private property...ONE OF THE GREATEST INVENTIONS OF ALL TIME. Right up there with nuclear power! Complete nonsense and foolishness. Thought you guys might get a laugh out of this.

which textbook is this?

Most on this board are in complete agreement with the author. They believe it is an ax that is insufficiently wielded.

Great invention. Right up there with religion and government.

I'd disagree. I'd say that most of the people being more vocal as of recent would be in agreement, but that's definitely not the opinion for the majority on the board. Unless you're referring to the politics forum, perhaps.

Yes.... I was referring to the politics forum.

+1

It really isn't all that surprising, the modern democratic states are based around taxation, in previous eras of human history the states tended to be much more limited in terms of taxation, much more limited in terms of fiat currency, much more limited in the technical ability to borrow and tax, ect. So if you feel the modern democratic states role in infrastructure, education, defense - science and technology, courts, ect, has played a important role in modern society then it is a pretty basic premise.

Taxation is necessary for defense. The higher the tax, the more powerful the military to go around the world taking the land and resources of smaller weaker countries.

Isaac Newton believed in alchemy and that's ****ing ******ed too. Still was probably the smartest person ever to live.

Sure a majority here think it is good or necessary, or an evil we put up with for X or Y and/or Z reasons, but A GREAT INVENTION LIKE MONEY, THE WHEEL AND NUCLEAR POWER? Come on, lets have a poll.

ffs, it's taking stuff from people with the presumption or claim that you are in a special position so that you can hurt them if they claim the same vs you. It's hardly an invention at all.

Like the wheel.......

people usually specialize in one thing and then think they can talk about everything with authority

I thought lions invented taxation...
like when a herd takes down a impala and the dominate male takes a cut (for the benefit of the herd - since he's representing the military part against intruders)

Poor lioness's falling for the old "defense spending" tax boondoggle.

Taxation is a pretty ingenious way to finance those services which and better provided by the community rather than individuals and firms.

Name one thing that can be better funded by community? Community is a bunch of independent men living together. Road removal do not need taxation, schools do not need taxation. Taxes should be voluntary.

That's called charity.

It's also a pretty ingenious way to finance wars and funnel money to the rich and powerful.

never took a game theory course, did you

lol, and nuclear power. Gee, what would we ever do if we didn't know how to blow up millions of people at a time.

The wheel getting dissed so bad with that company.

Especially since "money" probably means the pieces of green paper that the nuclear bombing taxers create.

I'm going to assume the author meant nuclear electricity generation capability, and not nuclear bombing.

But yes, it is otherwise ridiculous. For an econ text you would think something like division of labor, social cooperation, and voluntary exchange would be in there.

Haha. I didn't really think about "nuclear power" having general utility. I guess it made sense to me that he'd mean nuclear bombs since he loves taxation. But looking back, nuclear bombs is polarizing, it wouldn't be #3, it'd have to be #1 if it was gonna be on the list, so you're definitely right.

Still, you have to factor in all of it. Maybe I don't understand how useful nuclear energy is, but I'm guessing I'd rather do without it at least until the fruitcakes aren't in power. Even a really small chance of getting nuked is very bad. I'm still gonna say it's an insult to the wheel.