Does nanotechnology hold the key to the extinction of coercive government? Can some future Utility-Fog based defense system protect me and my family from government attempts to extort tax money? If so, would government cease to exist once everyone realizes that government can no longer collect taxes?
I think the answers to the above questions are all Yes. In light of this, I suggest the a new Extropian holiday – Taxation Freedom Day! Unlike normal holidays, many of which celebrate things that have happened in the past, Taxation Freedom Day celebrates an event that will happen at some point in the future. I think this fits in with Extropian philosophy rather well – it is certainly optimistic and it implies perpetual progress. I’m not sure which month and day to choose – perhaps it can fall around the usual time of the Extropian conference or the annual Foresight meeting. I do think that it should be a “dynamic” holiday in that the target year can change each year to meet new expectations of when we will have the technology to resist government coercion.
I suggest that the first target year be 2040. By then all citizens should have sufficient technology to tell the government to go take a hike. As we see more and more technological progress, we can change the year as we see fit.
Taxation Freedom Day should be celebrated with lots of exuberance, fireworks, laser shows, drunken revelry and perhaps a burning effigy or two of evil IRS agents. :)
Comments?
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Terry Donaghe: terry@donaghe.com
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