How stupid are the majority?

[You can call me V]

And what is your point?

In a nut shell? America isn't FREE because nobody cares about being FREE... people think it's a birth right or handed to them.

[Underverse]

Not at all. I'm simply saying that, like purchasing a chair, it should be one a time thing. Not on going for as long as you own the property.

That would destroy the housing market and disenfranchise millions of people. You would also have to have a contract that restricts mobility (as in, you have a straight tax that is taken when you buy the house that is based on the amount of time you will spend in that house; this binds you to the house for the duration of the contract, otherwise you lose money).

[You can call me V]

That would destroy the housing market and disenfranchise millions of people. You would also have to have a contract that restricts mobility (as in, you have a straight tax that is taken when you buy the house that is based on the amount of time you will spend in that house; this binds you to the house for the duration of the contract, otherwise you lose money).

I'm talking about land here though, like woods and forests, not a fully built house. And even so with a house, once it's paid off, you own it... right? Even with the current housing market, a 30 year mortgage isn't enough? You still need to continue to make payments on the land once you already own it?

[Spectral]

America isn't FREE because nobody cares about being FREE...

Says the guy typing whatever the fuck he's in the mood to type, upon which it is communicated to dozens of eyeballs scattered all over the world.

[You can call me V]

Says the guy typing whatever the fuck he's in the mood to type, upon which it is communicated to dozens of eyeballs scattered all over the world.

Go read about how the League of Legends player is sitting is jail right now. You say what you want until someone doesn't like it. Then you end up in jail... IN TEXAS!

[OzoAndIndi]

We live in a modern society, one which demands our full attention.

Too bad the good old basics of existence don't seem to anymore. Like being aware of objects in your path.

It's all but illegal, in America, to live the way our ancestors did in this country.

Unfortunately for many of us our countries are also developed to the point it would be difficult to do so. Most would be stuck with the urban jungle.


I dunno, I'm a pretty aware person with a eye for detail, I don't miss all that much, but I find it hard to understand those with such a one track mind so invested in their own thoughts that they lose that much awareness of what is going on around them.

[Palmz]

You do OWN the land if you outright purchased it privately. The US government only owns like a third of the land in America?

[Khoranth]

The funny thing about this is that property taxes are local, not federal. So the US government is not forcing you to pay property taxes, it isn't even done by the state, this is done locally.

[Underverse]

I'm talking about land here though, like woods and forests, not a fully built house. And even so with a house, once it's paid off, you own it... right? Even with the current housing market, a 30 year mortgage isn't enough? You still need to continue to make payments on the land once you already own it?

Ownership of land is not like ownership of objects. You can't just pick it up and move it, all you can do is really occupy it and maybe build stuff on it. And so the concept of owning land isn't really the same as the concept of owning a house. You'll come to different conclusions if you try to think about it the same way.

Also, there's been a land tax since the colonial times - that is, pre-constitution. And post-constitution.

[Molyneux]

I walked down the street yesterday, and watched a full grown man, looking at his phone, walk into a telephone pole. Look, I understand people are busy, but really, at what cost?

The way you wrote this seems really comical to me. "At what cost do we look at our phones? We're sacrificing the health of our foreheads."

Is it really so much to ask to take 10 minutes out of your day to look up the news?

"To look up the news" sounds really vague to me.

At some point, shouldn't that history lesson you got in high school be more important than the business degree you got in college?

When and how? You're so unbelievably vague in your entire post that I can't understand what you're trying to accomplish here. It's nice to learn about Genghis Khan, but why is that supposed to be more important than business to a businessman?

It's all but illegal, in America, to live the way our ancestors did in this country.

You really lost me here. I have no idea what you're trying to talk about and you go through zero lengths to try and explain it. "Look up this person if you don't believe me." If we don't believe you about what exactly?

The Constitution means something, it's still a warning.

If you were paying attention to any news at all, I think you'd know by now that the US government doesn't care about the constitution. This confused me further because before you were talking about how people need to pay attention to the news, but this statement right here means that you need to pay more attention.

In conclusion, I think you're trying way too hard to seem enlightened or intelligent.

[Woceip]

So for the land thing, I'm not an expert or anything, but I believe the taxes are to cover the costs associated with it (firefighters responding to your property when a wildfire's goin' on). Owning land is a privilege, so there comes costs to that. It's not so simple as turning back the clock.

[Lochton]

I walked down the street yesterday, and watched a full grown man, looking at his phone, walk into a telephone pole. Look, I understand people are busy, but really, at what cost? Is it really so much to ask to take 10 minutes out of your day to look up the news? To see what's going on around you? Or must we all be forced to live with idiots that glue their brain to derp cop shows every night? At some point, shouldn't that history lesson you got in high school be more important than the business degree you got in college?

We live in a modern society, one which demands our full attention. I get that. But again, at what cost? It's all but illegal, in America, to live the way our ancestors did in this country. Look up Eustace Conway if you don't believe me. And the only excuse is because: "we're a modern society". Bullshit. The Constitution means something, it's still a warning. And the very fact that we can't, even if given the choice, live our lives as our ancestors, is a huge red flag.

I just want to let everyone in on a little secret here. No matter how hard you work, or how much money you earn, you will never OWN land in America. See, unlike the purchase of a candy bar, or a chair, you will pay endless taxes on land until the day you die. This coming from the same Government that literally gave away land in the 1800s. Now tell me, knowing that, what in the fuck is point of working knowing that you will never own what you purchase?

I understand what you mean, till one point. Made me little confused. You do own the land when you buy it, but like every single other country, you have to pay taxes. There's taxes on everything. Even on the chair your buy, or the candy bar.

A person can work as hard as he/she sees fit, it's their life and many seem to reach what they want - sadly others work too much to get what they want, so they lose things too.

[someotherguy]

Look, I understand people are busy, but really, at what cost? Is it really so much to ask to take 10 minutes out of your day to look up the news?

You don't know if he has 10 minutes to spare, it could be a raid-night.

On a serious note, I just wasted precious minutes reading and responding to this post, now I feel stupid for it.

[Kapadons]

I think maybe he is trying to say that the government can take your land if you don't pay taxes? Maybe, I don't know. He confused me.


But in most cases the government doesn't TAKE your land they simply place a lien against it so that you repay the debt if you ever make any money off of the land. And like someone pointed out, property taxes are not a federal tax and therefore have a limited connection to the constitution. We could spend all day arguing about property tax and whether you agree with them but of all the taxes out there they are one of the only ones that I generally have no issue with. Mainly because a large portion of property tax is a "school tax" that goes to keep local schools running. Of all the taxes being paid a local tax seems to me the most legit. You pay taxes and you directly reap the benefit of it. As opposed to many other taxes that we pay and never see. It's also alot easier to hold local officials accountable than it is to hold the federal government accountable( which has never happened as far as I know)

Edit- And how does being taxed on something equate to you not owning it? I got taxed on a candy bar but I own it... or should I say I'm borrowing it

[Deleted]

I just want to let everyone in on a little secret here. No matter how hard you work, or how much money you earn, you will never OWN land in America. See, unlike the purchase of a candy bar, or a chair, you will pay endless taxes on land until the day you die. This coming from the same Government that literally gave away land in the 1800s. Now tell me, knowing that, what in the fuck is point of working knowing that you will never own what you purchase?

What is the alternative? That each person owns their own 'country'? That can't work.

Let's say hypothetically it would happen, but a person owning land gets a child. How is that child going to get his own land when everything is already divided between the people? He would have to live on his parents land or country, whatever you call it. But then he would have to work for his parents to repay them.

How is that any different from what the government is doing right now? You work to contribute to society so you can reap the benefits the government has to offer. It's just on a much bigger scale than one house and some land.

The only other alternative I think of is pure anarchy, and that doesn't work either. So I really don't know what you're grasping at.

[superstarz]

We are basically slaves to the government. we think we are free but in reality we are born into slavery and money is what drives us.
we make money from them, pay them taxes to pay us again. If we dont like what they say we cant leave because we have no money, so yeah we are bound to money and therefor slaves to them.

OT
you dont know how stupid the majority is until you have worked in customer service..
there are some really stupid people out there

[You can call me V]

We are basically slaves to the government. we think we are free but in reality we are born into slavery and money is what drives us.
we make money from them, pay them taxes to pay us again. If we dont like what they say we cant leave because we have no money, so yeah we are bound to money and therefor slaves to them.

OT
you dont know how stupid the majority is until you have worked in customer service..
there are some really stupid people out there

Agreed....

[Kapadons]

We are basically slaves to the government. we think we are free but in reality we are born into slavery and money is what drives us.
we make money from them, pay them taxes to pay us again. If we dont like what they say we cant leave because we have no money, so yeah we are bound to money and therefor slaves to them.

OT
you dont know how stupid the majority is until you have worked in customer service..
there are some really stupid people out there

Not true. I make 0 dollars from the government. So I am indeed not a slave to them.I don't even have to pay taxes if I don't want to. Do I abide by the rules set forth by the government for the good of all people? In almost all cases yes. While I certainly can agree that there are many laws that are unneeded and that the federal government is a bloated bureaucracy with it's nose in way to many poeple's business, I am not a slave to them. I freely can choose to leave the country, I can freely choose to disobey every single law ever made, I can choose to voice out my concern against the government and if enough citizens agree we can change the government. Don't mistake consequences for slavery. I can choose to take a shit in my underwear if I want to.

While I would like to avoid the typical red-neck line of " if you don't like it you can get out" I would encourage you to visit other truly oppressed people of the world and tell them how bad you have it. When what the eat is directly chosen by and provided by the government I don't know that they will have alot of sympathy for you.

[Forfax]

We are basically slaves to the government. we think we are free but in reality we are born into slavery and money is what drives us.
we make money from them, pay them taxes to pay us again. If we dont like what they say we cant leave because we have no money, so yeah we are bound to money and therefor slaves to them.

OT
you dont know how stupid the majority is until you have worked in customer service..
there are some really stupid people out there

you're no slave to anyone , money is nothing but an currency so that we may be able to trade , you're so blinded by your own ignorance.
nobody stop you from going to live in the jungle like a monkey , nobody is going to stop you.
You're so feed up with conspiracy bullshit that you don't even realize what you're saying.

Without government , it anarchy , it survival of the fittest , i highly doubt you'd survive a day without the protection that society provide for you.
you should thanks the government for the chance to study and educate yourself.

[Deleted]

According to wikipedia there is 316,265,000 people in USA and 3,794,101 square miles of land. That's about 0,012 per person and naturally not every inch of the land in USA is suitable for buildings. If everyone would have the equal right to build their own house and "live of the land", how should the land be divided to be fair for all? Survival of the fittest?