Mixed feelings about this form of protest

I commend the courage and intent of anti-war tax protesters. It's not clear, however, that this is a "good" tactic.

Would we condone similar protests, i.e. the refusal to pay taxes, by those who object to public school funding? How about those who are wealthy and see no need to pay social security taxes? Or, what about those who don't believe the global warming science and refuse to pay that portion of their tax liability that goes for alternative energy research?

The question being raised here is whether a "society" can exist if its citizens only agree to pay tax dollars for those programs they support. Is this a legitimate challenge to the tactics being used by anti-war tax protesters? If not, why not?

I am fully supportive of many forms of civil disobedience. It's great to know there are still people willing to incur personal risk to do what they believe in. It's just not clear this tactic, if extended to other issues, would leave us with a viable system of governance.

Furthermore, while the anti-war tax protest makes a perfectly legitimate symbolic statement against the war and occupation, what is the practical impact? In fact, consider the impact if the protest were to grow much larger than it currently is. Assume the federal government were to find itself far short of its revenue goals. Would war funding be reduced or would spending on populist programs be reduced? I think we all know the answer to that.

by welshTerrier2 (7 articles, 3 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 105 comments) on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 11:27:34 AM
 

Your points are well taken...

however, my interest in this group is that they will put their backsides in jeopardy for what they believe in. Too much of the content of oped websites is provided by fillibustering blowhards who whine about problems, but take no meaningful action.

I simply respect those that put their butts on the line for what they believe in.

by James Strait (39 articles, 0 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 191 comments) on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 11:46:43 AM
 

It does not seem a levelled plainfield

So, if you oppose the war  to prove your sincerity and to be respected you have to go to jail? And if you are for the war you  can enjoy yourself? What  a concept, really.

We can only weep that in our country such simple thing as opposing the unfair and criminal war can bring people to  desperate measures just to be noticed. And we can also weep that someone can respect people for their convictions only if those people harm themselves in the process. Unfortunate, that's all what I can say.

by Mark Sashine (44 articles, 19 quicklinks, 228 diaries, 3254 comments) on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 11:49:26 AM
 

It's never that simple....

The original topic of this article is about people who move beyond whining, and how I respect them for doing such. 

America has morphed into a population that reveres whining and interprets such as action. America whines about the evil napalm produced by DuPont, yet we buy millions of gallons of their paint products so that our interior walls look pretty as we type our whining opeds; we whine about hydrocarbons all while Al Gore flies his fat ass from financial oppotunity to financial opportunity on jet fuel hungry private jets; we whine about 4000 military fatalities in foreign lands, while ignoring the 150,000 gunned down in our own cities during the same time frame; we whine about the expense of health care while eating Big Macs and cheese fries: we whine about our children being involved with drugs while we sip cocktails at dinner...it goes on and on and on.

At some deep and profound level we recongnize our hypocrisy and loathe ourselves for it...and the world joins in. If we cannot respect ourselves, how can we expect the world to care whether we prosper or fail?

It is about respect. I respect ANYONE that will face down the American Taliban, also known as, the Internal Revenue Service.

Does it mean that we should avoid discourse? Of course not....but pulllleeeeeze stop whining. 

by James Strait (39 articles, 0 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 191 comments) on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 12:26:08 PM
 

Perception:Artificial or real?

Is that sense about Americans whining all the time artificial, created by the media or real. Recently Glenn Beck said that  we have lost the sense of personal responsiblity: Congress authorised war and now it is trying to stop it.  This surely is a malicious distortion of the realit; if we  want to talk about responsibilitt GW comes to mind- it was on his watch  that 3000 people died in one day and he did not even  try to  take responsibiltity and resign.

Whining, huh?  There was a Katrina disaster and  the response to it which  in ANY OTHER WESTERN COUNTRY would have resulted in govt  brought to the streets in tar and feathers.  Americans did not whine much, should I say.

This is a very big country. Its population is unstable. Most of the people are confused: stuck in some meaningless jobs, spend long hours, do not understand what is going on, get mixed messages, etc.  If I could  define their mood it would  be only one word: tired. You can be tired of many things but Americans are tired of life. They are not whining- they just  are hypernetted in anxiety. And then indifference  becomes the only saviour.

Yes, we admire  the does very much. But admiration is one thing and help is very much the other.  Say, we admire  a person who went to jail for his/her beliefs. But I can bet most of us will not help this person, will not send money,. will not hire an attorney, will not GO there and help a family, not because we are so mean but just  because our resources are very stratched. So, if we know that let's not rejoice  when it happens but at least quitely dream what one Haitian doctor dreamed, that President of the country  gets a call that there was a protest against him and the protesters were arrested. The President calls the  jail and... posts the bail.

Of course it is only a dream.

by Mark Sashine (44 articles, 19 quicklinks, 228 diaries, 3254 comments) on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 2:17:59 PM
 

too many typos, sorry

I was distracted. But I hope my message came through.

by Mark Sashine (44 articles, 19 quicklinks, 228 diaries, 3254 comments) on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 2:36:18 PM
 

Loud and Clear

Your message is well thought out and I cannot really argue against anything that you said. America is a fatigued and disconnected country...I will agree with that observation. However, those are only explanatons and not an excuse.

Americas state of being is a global embarrassment. In an earlier article I revealed that I loathed President Bush for different reasons than the vast number here on opednews do. I loathe him for his failure during and after Katrina. His feet should have been the first to hit the ground in the Gulf Coast once the winds subsided. His presence could have provided the emotional and psychological lift needed for all that did answer the call...the world could have seen him as a moral hands on leader...however, two days later he did a low pass in his Boeing flying palace. He is a lousy start to a new century.

But it remains that I admire the IRS protesters.

by James Strait (39 articles, 0 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 191 comments) on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 2:58:44 PM
 

Most of the money is borrowed from China and Japan, no?

As a practical matter, the imperial wars are being fought with borrowed money.

People should be out protesting China and Japan, without whose support the Empire's wars of aggression would likely be impossible.

by Harold Smith (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 373 comments) on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 5:53:51 PM
 

Lets just protest everything

Yes, the financing of the activities on planet earth are twisted and complex...borrowing from Peter to pay Paul is standard stuff...but that does not diminish the individuals responsibility to answer his or her own conscience.

It is the mirror that you must stare into and answer to your own inner voice...you can spin it here on an Internet website, but at 3AM ya gotta face your reality.

by James Strait (39 articles, 0 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 191 comments) on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 7:45:16 PM
 

Quit your ridiculous hand-waving already.

Lets just protest everything

No, let's be more effective by being more selective. The foreigners that are financing the Empire's wars know exactly what they're doing, and the spotlight should be on them too.

by Harold Smith (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 373 comments) on Thursday, March 20, 2008 at 6:34:03 AM