>>>>>>>>>Fight Against Ridiculous Taxes, or FART: New Zealand wants to tax farmers for the gas emissions of their cattle...
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7646857.stm
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I've read reports that other countries (including my own) are considering such a thing. It appears that studies show that cattle are one of the greatest contributors to greenhouses gasses...more than driving!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I can just see my uncle's reaction. He owns a dairy farm in Wisconsin and I spent many summers working it when I was young. I don't think greenhouse gasses are even a consideration. If they are, they are WAY down below making the bills, buying clothes for the kids, paying for school, and paying for healthcare...
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>If we haven't already put the small farmers out of business, this will surely do it. Not only will we be buying our oil from overseas, but our meat and dairy products and every vegetable as well. I just can't see the big agri-corps paying for greenhouse gasses...There's a new lobby in the making.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>"Climate change" is the best D's excuse rooting for every US-based industry taxed out of existence, especially if this industry is still large and successful. One should not be surprised that in case of Obama administration USA will immediately change position in WTO talks and will call for unilateral removal of any agricultural subsidies by developed countries.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Can you point out to me, why it is that up here in europe we are taxing the industry for that and they are still in business? Not that I believe in taxes for Climate change, but motivating the industry to less polute the environment is something that should be welcomed by everyone. It stuns me that americans are so obessed with taxes anyways. We pay a lot more taxes over here, but people here are a lot less obsessed with it.
>>>>>
>>>>>Taxes are the proven way to suppress individual freedom, and many Americans place freedom very high in their priority list.
>>>>
>>>>"Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose"
>>>>
>>>>What freedom is lost by taxes? I also value individual freedom, but I fail to see what taxes do change here.
>>
>>>Would you consider yourself 'free' if someone will slap you with 100% tax, and accordingly you will work free (e.g. for food)? This simplification is used entirely because you were not able to grasp the concept. Hopefully, you understand it now.
>>
>>Oh I understand.....
>>
>>Would you consider yourself free if you did not have the cash to get that urgent medical treatment and you're trapped in your own home? And that all because nobody is paying taxes to fund a national healthcare?
>>
>>And would you consider yourself free when driving in your brand new car, but there are no roads, because nobody pays taxes to build them?
>>
>>And how to enjoy your freedom, when you only got 10 free days off a year?
>>
>>Oh I guess al those people in New Orleans felt very free when no-one was helping them when they needed help.
>>
>>And how free would you be, without the US army protecting your freedom? Guess where the money is comming from?
>>
>>Or should we say that individual freedom is the synonym for "being left alone"?
>>
>>From my experience, the persons I met with the highest level of freedom, were the individuals that had nothing to lose (hence the quote above). The more personal belongings, the more people are prisoners on their own device. Lets face it, we are choosing to be depended on others (e.g. family), our work, our mortage, our cars, our government, our pensions, our money, etc. Though most are claiming to search happyness through individual freedom, most are achieving this through embeddedness instead.
>>
>>To me the american attitude towards taxes is very short sighted... very... Just accept there at least two things certain in life. You'll die and you'll pay taxes. You'll enjoy your freedom a lot more.
>>
>>Look nobody wants to pay taxes. But I can tell you that I was very happy to get that medical treatment costing more than 20.000 euros totally free of charge. The US has a low tax burden compared to other western countries, but they scream the loudest.
>>
>>I totally understand..
>
>As I already mentioned every person has own priorities. You got it correct that freedom is essentially a privilege (or burden, depending on attitude) being left alone. Anything else is a derivative. In my opinion, human being is essentially individual, as a human; while still preserving animal habits and needs vividly portrayed in your message.

I'm glad we ironed that one out.

>By the way, it is tiresome when some person tries to force his attitude down the other people throats

So you then know how much of the world feels and looks at your current administration. Esspecially now, the financial crisis infects the rest of the world, even though I agree that the reasons for this to happen are too many to just blame it on the administration.

>especially when his ideal is essentially place in Animal Farm with about equal share of food where one may happily wait for the end of life.

There is a lot between communism and the extreme side of kapitalism. If you look at the scandanavian countries, which have the most competitive economies, highest wealth, excelent healthcare and the highest taxes. There is a lot to learn from the world outside. People need to have the posisibilities to take initiatives, opportunities and earn "advantages" over other people.