Michael Badnarik at Liberty for All:
Conventional wisdom asserts that nothing is certain but death and taxes, however this ancient rubric is being challenged more frequently, and more aggressively with each passing day. While no one doubts that the IRS will use intimidation and force to collect the income tax, there are serious doubts being raised as to whether or not Americans are required to pay this onerous tax.
Let’s look at some easily verified facts about our nation’s history. The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. The Sixteenth Amendment, the IRS, and the Federal Reserve Bank all came into existence in 1913. This means that our young republic managed to survive without an income tax for 137 years with no ill effects. In fact, I’ve read that our government had a huge money surplus during that period.
Since 1913 the Federal Reserve has continually inflated our economy by printing money “out of thin air”, making the money already in circulation worth less than before. If you found a way to print twenty dollar bills on a special printer, you would eventually be convicted of counterfeiting – one of only three crimes explicitly listed in the Constitution. How does your printing money out of thin air differ from the Federal Reserve doing the same thing on a massive scale? Except for the volume of money printed, there is no difference at all. The Federal Reserve exercises a monopoly on counterfeiting, but that is obviously not a power Congress was authorized to give.
@3 Thanks for the link.
@3
Nick,
Most excellently said. The decision speaks for itself. Having read the entire decision, I must say that I do understand why the more modern style of writing was taken to be an advance.
The author you criticize wrote an entire book filled with ideas similar to these, for example, his claim that the President is only Commander in Chief if war has been declared. Some years ago, when it appeared possible that there was going to be a second try at a Presidential run, I wrote an extended analysis of Badnarik’s book and its exotic ideas for Liberty For All.
Best,
George
For those who want to read the whole case, you’ll see just how entirely wrong Mr. Badnarik and the others who share his misguided view on Brushaber and taxation generally.
I’ll pay the rent when you show me the lease agreement I signed 🙂
$3B annually to Israel, 200 ‘over seas’ military bases, a global empire, gotta pay da rent some how ……….