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Hard to answer but I like capitalism because I can choose who to give my money away to instead of the government deciding that for me. Give me roads, protection, and basic rights, let me handle the rest.
By protection do you take the narrow view of just military and police, or do you also include things like meat inspections, drug evaluations, air traffic control, consumer safety, job safety, natural disaster response, disease prevention, water quality, air quality, consumer protections, etc.?
Taxes allow you to choose who you give your money to? God would rather you care about your wallet before a homeless Christian?
What are you talking about? How does the homeless christian get money if I don't have any extra? The problem is you are looking at this through your myopic view of the world. I gave away 20% of my income before taxes, so please don't try to paint me in a corner.
No, it is not obvious. Many people who would make a statement like you just made would use the narrow definition of protection. But good for you to recognize some of the larger issues. So, what do you mean by "the rest?" Do you mean education? Do you mean transportation other than roads? Do you mean Science and R&D? Do you mean trade? The economy? The environment? Climate Change? National Parks? Does Iraq fall under protection? What?
Neither. God's government to the Israelites (before they demanded a king like their neighbors) was communal...but the state wasn't the "owner." God was. The acknowledgment was that blessing was from God...and that none of it really belonged to any of us. This included land. So every 7 years, all debts incurred in the previous 6 years would be forgiven....and the people weren't to work for a full year, and all that food that grew that year was to be shared freely with everyone. This kept the gap between the rich and the poor smaller, obviously. God said, "there are to be no poor among you," (Deut. 15:4). And then every 49th year (7x7) property was to be returned to its original owners and all debt cancelled. There were laws to make sure immigrants were welcome...laws were set up to make sure the widows and orphans (the very least of the socio-economic status at that time) were cared for. There were very strong warnings about charging interest to someone you loan money to. But the Hebrews decided they needed a king to keep them safe from their neighbors. And a prophet named Samuel told them this was a bad idea...that they should trust God because a king will make them his subjects and it will be bad. They didn't listen. And Samuel was right. "When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day." I Sam 8:11-18. The stories of what happened...how the kings abused power...go on and on. But they wanted a way different than what God suggested.
I'm a Blade Runner, moonlighting as a liberal Texan, or a liberal Texan moonlighting as a Blade Runner. Take your pick. What I am NOT is an android!!!
sometimes while lying in bed with my wife.......when shes not looking, I'll caress my pillow and pretend that it is alot fluffier than it really is.
Don't be obsessed with your desires, MadMax. The Zen philosopher Basha once wrote, 'A flute with no holes, is not a flute. A donut with no hole, is a Danish.' He was a funny guy.
