Taxation is theft but do you think THIS country would still work without taxes?

say you still want healthcare and education to be a right; do you think our country would still "work" off rich people voluntarily donating money or something.

If countries like the UAE can be successful without income tax, surely we can too?

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Reply 1

Plagioclase

Original post by alkaline.

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I'm not really sure I'd like to live in the UAE's interpretation of "success".

Reply 2

alkaline.

Original post by Plagioclase

I'm not really sure I'd like to live in the UAE's interpretation of "success".

can you expand on that please, the locals have a lot rights yet don't pay taxes.

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Reply 3

tamil fever

I think I might become the next Robin Hood.Steal from the rich and give to the poor :biggrin:

Reply 4

Plagioclase

Original post by alkaline.

can you expand on that please, the locals have a lot rights yet don't pay taxes.

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First of all, and I should have mentioned this earlier, you cannot compare the UAE's economy - which is overwhelmingly oil-based - to ours. The kind of infrastructure needed to make that kind of an economy work is very different from the kind of infrastructure you need for a services and knowledge-based economy.

Secondly, whilst there is fabulous wealth in the UAE, there is also a very high amount of inequality and a host of social problems such as human rights abuses which are not decoupled from the issue that we are discussing. You can certainly get a lot worse than the UAE but I definitely wouldn't herald it as the pinnacle of success.

Reply 5

alkaline.

Original post by Plagioclase

So if our economy was oil based we wouldn't need to pay taxes?

Secondly, whilst there is fabulous wealth in the UAE, there is also a very high amount of inequality and a host of social problems such as human rights abuses which are not decoupled from the issue that we are discussing. You can certainly get a lot worse than the UAE but I definitely wouldn't herald it as the pinnacle of success.

do our taxes pay for human rights to not be abused?

I'm not holding it as a pinnacle of success, I'm saying their country "works" right, so I'm asking can the UK work similar to it's current level without taxes or not, and why?

Original post by tamil fever

I think I might become the next Robin Hood.Steal from the rich and give to the poor :biggrin:

okay, nice contribution

Reply 6

Plagioclase

Original post by alkaline.

So if our economy was oil based we wouldn't need to pay taxes?

Of course it's not as simple as that, although it is true that a natural resources based economy (assuming that you're not being completely exploited by foreign multinationals which the UAE isn't) allows governments to raise extremely high levels of revenue with fairly low expenditure. You've got an obvious example of Norway which is also oil-based (although not as much and they also put a lot into a sovereign wealth fund) but also with high taxes, but if you gave me the choice to live in Norway with its high taxes but high social stability, low inequality, high levels of personal and social freedom and high quality welfare and education systems, and the UAE... I know which one I would choose.

do our taxes pay for human rights to not be abused?

Yes, to some extent. The structures in place through taxes (good public education and welfare, wealth distribution, etc.) results in a government whose power relies on satisfying the general population and on being socially liberal, democratic and transparent (relatively, of course). Governments who can raise vast quantities of money from certain cash-cow industries that require minimal investment in ordinary people do not have to do this.