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Sunday, April 15, 2007

Those damned confiscatory taxes

What's Mallard raving about today?

Confiscatory Taxes, Byzantine systems.

Let's examine, for a moment, Mallard's neologism (a check in a larger dictionary and I stand corrected) use of the term: confiscatory

The definition of confiscate is:
  • surrendered as a penalty
  • appropriated: taken without permission or consent especially by public authority; "the condemned land was used for a highway cloverleaf"; "the confiscated liquor was poured down the drain"
  • impound: take temporary possession of as a security, by legal authority; "The FBI seized the drugs"; "The customs agents impounded the illegal shipment"; "The police confiscated the stolen artwork"
In Mallard's mind, I suppose he might argue that the middle definition is the one he was aiming at, since he clearly does not like paying taxes or thinks taxes are too high. But neither of those sentiments would make the system confiscatory.

Like it or not, Mallard consumes the services which our taxes pay for (Fire, Police, Roads, Military, etc.). which suggests at least tacit consent for the tax system of the nation in which Mallard has chosen to live.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually, this year April 15th is "observed" on the 17th. But at least Tinsley got to have his dream of not paying taxes on the 15th, for what that's worth.

Of course, the tax system that Mallard has to deal with is a lot less Byzantine than the one Hagar the Horrible has to deal with.

Hagar's tax collector

Anonymous said...

It reminds me of Life of Brian...

"All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?"

Seriously, I think those who think taxes are too much are those without two brain cells to rub together who couldn't be bothered to find out what taxes pay for. Public services cannot be privatized, look what that did to our health system!

And no one said he had to pay taxes. Quit his job, hide out in the woods, eat raw squirrels... it won't cost a dime.

Kaitlyn said...

His kids go to private school, right?

And they never drive on roads or walk on sidewalks or use the city/county water/septic/electric systems (I know you pay a monthly bill, but you didn't build the infrastructure, now did you?), or EMS, police, and fire.

Oh, and laws are bunk because those who make them are paid by taxes.

Both parents are "government" employees. My mom is officially federal and is getting a 2% raise next year. My dad's officially an asshole and owes us a few years of back child support. My mom used her tax money for a retainer on her divorce lawyer to get him. :)

My mom's pretty liberal - she works in education. Gay marriage? Doesn't matter to her - her husband didn't run off with a man. Abortion? "I don't think it should be used as birth control, but that's how I feel, and what I really want is for it to be legal and safe for every woman."

My dad's conservative - would vote for Dixie before voting Democratic.
But he's been paid by taxes his entire working life! Military, small town cop, Memphis cop.

Don't our taxes go to the military as well as lazy government agencies that get every day off?

(Too lazy to look it up, and I already pissed him off for now - Thursday - "May I please speak to your mother?" "*splutter* You mean your grandmother." "No, she's my grandmother, but she's your mother. May I please speak to your mother?" "Okay (It's Kaitlyn)." "Hello?" "Hi, Grandma..."

My mom started it - she did it to him less than a week before. His mom is living with him. ("Can Frankie come out and get sued?")

For the record, my dad doesn't have to pay most of the time - he does the paycheck withdrawal, I think.


Life of Brian rules. I wish I had it on DVD. But no, VHS with a scratchy beginning that I got for a dime at Goodwill's Bargain Barn. (Take disinfectant/wear gloves)

GeoX, one of the GeoX boys. said...

I hate to be seen as defending Tinsley in any way shape or form, but "confiscatory" is a legitimate word.