Is it just me or do people who use the force of government to take money from me and spend it on things I don’t think it should be spent on (nearly everything but Obama Care is one of the better examples) also want me to be happy and grateful for what they have done?
Do robbers who stick a gun or knife in your face and take your money also expect your gratitude?
They want you to act gratefully because they know that it’s wrong, but don’t want to be reminded of that.
Robbing is a task, just like any other, and those performing those tasks, like others, generally try to improve their performance. Injecting social niceties into a robbery doesn’t improve it, it slows it down, which is dangerous to the well-being of the robbers.
Politicians, OTOH, feel the need to make robbing into a religious event as well as a means of income, so they proselytize as they rob, and thereby build their creds in their perverted religion.
“… also WANT me to be happy and grateful for what they have done?”
Actually, they insist on it. And if you don’t smile, they’ll send you off for ‘re-education’ until you do.
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
Some lines from Spooner in “No Treason” come to mind here…
This is a common theme. Communists doing the People’s Work of killing millions of their fellow citizens also complained of being under appreciated.
Who says you have to be happy about it? Don’t be happy. Be unhappy. Do whatever you want.
“Thank you sir, may I have another?”
“Who says you have to be happy about it? Don’t be happy. Be unhappy. Do whatever you want.”
Whu? Could you expound on that, you know– for our entertainment?
It’s not just you.
They’ll also call you names for not wanting whatever magnificent bounty they’re buying with your money.
And call for re-education camps for the ungrateful.
But, don’tcha know, they are doing it for your own good!
Sheesh… the ungratefulness of some people…
Lyle,
I’m sure Joe has the full range of human emotions: happiness, sadness, etc. Did the government just want money or did they insist he produce a particular emotional response at the same time? I’m pretty sure they just wanted the money.
@ub52, I wasn’t referring to “the government” directly. My interactions have been with individuals who advocated for the taking of my money.
“I’m sure Joe has the full range of human emotions: happiness, sadness, etc. Did the government just want money or did they insist he produce a particular emotional response at the same time? I’m pretty sure they just wanted the money.”
Let’s see, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, from the bench of the Supreme Court, said “I like paying my taxes. It’s the price I pay for civilization.”? That quote, and others like it (which can be found on the IRS website), seem to imply that we had better like paying our taxes, or we’re nothing better than uncivilized brutes! Never mind that our taxes go above and beyond “paying for civilization”, and indeed, between destroying businesses and investments, wasting our livelihood on all sorts of waste and corruption, AND destroying our freedoms to boot, I’d go so far as to say that we’re well beyond “paying the price for civilization”.
Another Supreme Court Justice, John Marshall, said “The power to tax is the power to destroy.” Isn’t it a funny coincidence that that quote is missing from the IRS website?
Correction: The “Let’s see” sentence should read “Let’s see, wasn’t it Justice … Holms, who from the bench … said …”
It’s annoying to see a mistake the moment after you post your comment! 🙂