More of the Same

I believe that there should be no income taxes on the individual person. Governments should (...be as minimal as possible and need only limited revenues anyway, but...) raise their revenues by taxing the big ("fat cat") companies, running lotteries and collecting taxes on luxury items, and if further funds are absolutely necessary, by a tax on all transactions.

Raw information should be free (...why not?). The "fat cats" are hell-bent on turning information into yet another commodity to be traded and make fat profits from (I'm thinkng of the internet here - and at whose expense? the common man, as always).

Mistrust authority and promote de-centralization (...who is it that collects the taxes, puts people in prison, imposes "austerity" measures usually brought about through their own incompetence? Who is it that sends their people to die in (usually futile and immoral) wars? Who is it that rations-out healthcare, usually at a time of life when people need it most - as in the UK's National Health Service?). No prizes for guessing that I'm hinting at central government here.

How about:-

1) The abolition of "nations".
2) The opening-up of all borders to allow (actual) free trade and freedom of travel.
3) Total freedom for everybody and anybody to seek work, residence and happiness anywhere.

Then we would really see both equality and "the magic of the market place" (...supply and demand). A real jungle situation, every one in competition with everybody else but at least on a level playing field this time, with true survival of the fittest coming to the fore! Of course, anything like this would never be allowed to happen.

"From each according to his inclination: to each according to his value" - Realism (according to me).

Compare with:-

"From each according to his contribution: to each according to his need" - Communism (but first attributed to the Shaker Joseph Meacham ... and pre-dating Karl Marx!).

"From each according to his ability: to each according to his work" - Socialism.

"From each according to his ambition: to each well beyond his need!" - Capitalism.

Having said that, I hope that (in the UK at least) Conservatism really means free markets, free trade, freedom of the individual, minimal interference by government, and (hopefully) relatively low taxation. That is why, if I were a voter, I would vote for it every time, on the grounds that it most approaches my ideal of Realism.

After all, if money is the great lubricant of the modern world, all that wealth has to be created somehow. Left-wing governments are always very good at spending the money (raised by taxation of course, or sale of public property or enterprise usually at great loss to the "public"), but in the long run they are not very good at creating the wealth.

Personally, I feel no great desire the carry my fellow man. Beyond the bounds of "Christian charity" let him fend for himself, as I have done. You can forget free hand-outs and welfare cheques if I ever made it to power! That leads only to dependency. The root problems don't really get addressed and the recipient just ends up even more resentful and useless than when he started!

And, of course, all falls to naught if the system breaks down to such an extend that contracts are not honoured, debts are not paid etc. Conservative governments are usually strong in the area of law and order!

Yes, free trade is good (what else are all those billions of people going to do? ... and don't say produce even more babies!). In 1857 Richard Cobden wrote that "free trade is God's diplomacy, and there is no other certain way of uniting people in bonds of peace." I read into that that the popular "modern" view that the British Empire was inherently immoral is actually missing the big picture somewhat. You can't trade very easily with enemies!