Mums and Dads Herald financial advisor Mary Holm, reported receiving a letter from the Inland Revenue Department in response to a query she made on a reader’s behalf.
The Department wrote, “As you know we can’t tell you information about individual customers…”
So there in three words is arguably the greatest language abuse in history.
Taxpayers are not the IRD’s customers, that is eager voluntary payers for something in return. A more appropriate word would surely be victims.
As I’ve frequently written, by definition taxpayers are victims of theft. The definition of theft is to take someones property by coercion or stealth, coercion applying to income tax and stealth to indirect taxes.
The Department would probably defend telling lies on diplomacy grounds. I’m not so sure.
Had they written to Mary saying, “as you know we can’t tell you information about individual victims…” and she’d publicised this, I’m confident the reaction would be both admiration and a damn good laugh for their honesty.
Periodically Government Departments do venture into such bravery and tell the truth.
My all-time favourite, about 25 years ago, was the television advertisement which opened showing wets line-dancing.
Then after about 20 seconds came the message.
“Children
If you don’t study hard at school you will end up like this
New Zealand Department of Education”.
It was a marvellous spot-on advert but was sadly pulled after line-dancers complained.
5 Comments
I would suggest that taxation is more accuratly defined as robbery as opposed to theft.
The use or threat of the use of force to commit theft is what makes it robbery.
“234 Robbery
(1)
Robbery is theft accompanied by violence or threats of violence, to any person or property, used to extort the property stolen or to prevent or overcome resistance to its being stolen.”
I also am a victim,. Sniff. Sadly sometimes because of my lack of good judgement
Taxation is theft,and may also be described as robbery for without coercion,implied and actual,only a few simple-minded wets would pay it.
Taxation is as old as humanity.
Tyrants,demagogues and governments,of all stripes have,and continue to use it to entrench their position,line their own pockets,and to keep the victims in their place.
In today’s world,taxation (the proceeds of the theft) is what is used to bribe the punters into voting the
thieves in again,so that the pillage can continue.
Once politicians realized that the electorate was able to be bribed in this manner,the sky was the limit,
and that is the achilles heel of modern democracy.
Waldo
I would agree it is the Achilles heel of socialism which has permeated it’s way into Democracy.
I think few would argue that we can provide hospitals, roads, education, policing etc etc without us paying for it. Tax is a necessary evil BUT the misuse of that ill gotten money should be a crime.
I hate paying tax for this reason alone. I know when they take it from me they will waste it.
SB – as for lying none of them could lie straight in bed. I believe all your readers and contributors here are likely to be able to remember when GST was “sold” to us. We were told personal tax would go as the take from GST would be so high.
Well the take is actually massive but hidden and personal taxes rise.
Until handing money to people to do nothing is made illegal the system will dive headlong towards disappearing up it’s own behind.
Tax is love according to our masochistic/sadistic looney socialists.