Thursday, November 23, 2017

Security for your own good




I wrote this in response to a Slashdot article about the recent home grown terrorist activity of that guy flying his plane into the IRS building regarding is perceived unfairness of Section 1706 of the IRS code that removes the safe harbor provisions of Section 530 - Our Low-Tech Tax Code. In my opinion this guy was over the edge in FUD, interpreting the IRS's actions as making him a "criminal and non-citizen slave" - he was in full control of his life and how much success he could muster. But I see an alarming trend of the government either directly or indirectly "protecting" us from ourselves. Where's the opt out selection for this?

I don't know about you but I'm getting really tired of other people "protecting" me and treating me like a person who cannot protect nor fend for myself. I enter into relationships of my own choosing - of my own volition. But my government doesn't trust that I can make the right decision for myself and must force me to do what they think is right at the point of a gun. Didn't we used to overthrow such tyrants? Perhaps it's time to do so again!

If I wish to perform contract work for a client for years and at pretty handsome rate and I must then get my own benefits, to pick and choose those that I want and not get those which I determine I don't want, if I am happy with such a relationship then isn't it I who have voluntarily chosen to engage in such a relationship?!? If the government still wishes to steal my hard earned earnings in the form of taxation and they don't believe I'm paying my "fair share" then that is an issue between my government and me - not an issue between my government and my customers/clients. Take me to tax court if you must and I will show you I am complying with your silly rules for membership in the Socialist States of America.

What happened to the thought that we should limit the abuse of forceful power that the government wields against our lives in the forms of such laws? Unlike the government, private business does not hold a gun to my head to force me to work for them. If they did, then that, and that alone, is the proper place for government to step in and protect my rights which are being violated against my will in a non-voluntary fashion. Now government implements this abuse of power indirectly by forcing private business to comply with legislation designed to protect me, even against my protestations to the contrary.

We see this in spades by private businesses asking all of these security questions that provide no real security, and collecting even more personal information, thus making identity theft even more likely, all in the name of 9/11 and the Patriot Act and "for my protection" as they say. But what if I don't want such protection or if I feel such protection is actually counter-intuitive or that it provide less security because now the identity thieves have a much more convenient target - your cell phone company's computer systems (and don't tell me you haven't heard of such theft of that information).

Lord please stop my government from forcing me to protect myself from that which I've voluntarily decided I do not wish to be protected from? IOW if you need me to sign a release I will gladly do it but stop forcing me to live my life as you see fit! It used to be that such an ideal was esteemed in this country but not it seems to be reviled! Why?!?

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