Frankly, I’m worried about what the rightwing of the SCOTUS will do. Being in the pockets of Bush/et.al. is a real threat to the intent of the Founding Fathers. And it will be a slap in the face if they weaken “The Wall”.

The RR justices are religious extremists and in bed with the christianists. And they’re not just sharing the bed–they’re actively pleasuring each other, to mutual satisfaction!

You know, typing that was okay but as I proofed it, I experienced real nausea! Yuck!

I think we’re the ones being screwed…

AUM, you have a better chance with this SCOTUS than with any past one or any future one.

My guess is you’re a Libertarian who has read The Law That NEVER Was!, by Bill Benson. It has become a bible to Libertarians, who deplore taxation.

At the risk of alienating another atheist, I suggest you carefully read the definitive answer on the subject. Mr. Siegel has been asked this question so many times, he has posted the “complete answer” to his personal blog. He concludes the post with this::

(Jonathan R. Siegel, Professor of Law(George Washington University Law School), Attorney (Civil Division, Appellate Staff, DoJ 1990-95; briefed and argued cases in US Court of Appeals; won 29 of 34 cases; advised and assisted Solicitor General in litigating before the [SCOTUS].)

For all these reasons, it seems clear that the Sixteenth Amendment really is part of the Constitution.

Certainly that has been the uniform holding of the courts in cases in which this argument has been raised. For some representative cases, see United States v. Benson, 941 F.2d 598 (7th Cir. 1991) (rejecting these arguments in a criminal case brought against the author of the “Law that Never Was” book); United States v. Foster, 789 F.2d 457 (7th Cir. 1986); Cook v. Spillman, 806 F.2d 948 (9th Cir. 1986) (calling the argument that the Sixteenth Amendment was never ratified “frivolous” and imposing sanctions of $1,500 on the party making it); United States v. House, 617 F.Supp. 237, 238-39 (W.D. Mich.1985).

So while this argument is not as utterly absurd as most tax protestor arguments, one can be confident that it would not succeed in any actual court proceeding.

I don’t particularly enjoy paying taxes either. However, there are “common welfare” items intended in the Constitution that I depend on and share with all Americans. They have never been “gratis”–and they wouldn’t even exist if the far-rightwing and neocons have anything to say about it…

THAT doesn’t sound good, does it?

I wonder if Ginsberg can woo him with “cookies”?

Just asking…

I think I might need to go back to sleep. I initially read that as SCROTUM case. Ok, I will get coffee and read the SCOTUS case. (I might need new glasses as well.)

Naomi, actually I don’t know what I am. I’ve never read that book, but I’m following the Cryer case, where he refused to pay taxes, the IRS could not show him the law, and then the feds ruined his life.

As far as political affliation goes, I’m on the fence between Libertarian and Socialist.

As such, I have nothing against common welfare. I would be perfectly happy to pay taxes if we weren’t lied to about the law, and if we could make absolutely certain our tax money went to benefit the common welfare.

However, I don’t think the government should take my money so the politicians can use it every which way BUT which benefits America and Americans.

I’m set to make only 500 dollars a month, and 100 of that will be taken away by the black hole that is our government. That 100 dollars could have gone towards important things, like medicine and insurance for myself. As I’m single I don’t have to provide for anyone but myself, but still, that 100 bucks would be great to have in an emergency.

Instead, it will go towards building more weapons to kill more of the innocents that just happen to live on rich oil deposits, or innocents that Israel happen to not like. If that 100 dollars a month went to helping the poor find jobs, get them decent housing, or help provide insurance to others, I’d happily give it up.

On that topic (here comes Socialism), I hate how the money grubbers running businesses today punish the working class by raising their prices well beyond what is necessary when a minimum wage increase is given. By doing so, they make the increase irrelevant, and devalue the American dollar at the same time.

Too bad our government won’t do dick to stop that, but then, most of the people in our government don’t know what it’s like to work a minimum wage job. This government is a rich man’s government and fuck the rest of us.

That’s why a good majority of the military are desperate lower and middle class. It’s a poor man’s military to fight a rich man’s war.

I hate the war in Iraq and this bullshit war on terror because the trillions (what’s higher than a trillon?) we’re going to end up spending on Neocon conquest could be turned back into this country and insure the 40+ million without health insurance, or provide some type of housing for our half a million homeless.

But then, whenever I point this out, I will be labelled a socialist or a communist, and be told that’s unAmerican. I suppose spending billions to make weapons to blow up children is very much the American way? I suppose it’s perfectly fine since it’s not us the weapons are being used on… yet.

And I realize I’m rambling. I apologize. When I get on a soap box it’s hard to get me off of it. So in closing, I absolutely hate what this government has become. And yes, I draw a distinction between hating the GOVERNMENT and hating the PEOPLE. I can still love my country but hate my government.

AtheistUnderMask:
“I hate the war in Iraq and this bullshit war on terror because the trillions (what’s higher than a trillon?) we’re going to end up spending on Neocon conquest.”

YES! In my opinion, war has always been used, in ALL cultures, to profit the very elite; whom, in these days, in particular, almost never get their OWN offspring killed or mamed. There are humongous profits to be made producing and selling weaponry. It’s part of the human race’s total insanity. Just think of all the world’s stockpiles of weapons rusting away; and in the case of nuclear…dangerously poluting the planet for millenia. What a total waste…and blatant example of total “cosmic” insanity!
I’ve long felt, that anyone who participates in that endeavor deserves whatever “karma” ensues.
(Pardon my New Age hangover…wait…what about the golden rule, huh? OK, fuck it!)
As to “what’s higher than a million”…I always defer to “gazillion”…Let’s face it, whatever you call it; practically speaking, you can’t really imagine it, anyway!

As to your…
“And I realize I’m rambling. I apologize. When I get on a soap box it’s hard to get me off of it.”…Ramble on…with no apology necessary, either! I’m as ‘guilty’ as the next ‘guy’ on that account.
Hey…wait a minute!…GUILT?…Fuck guilt!
As to a soap box…
I’m an old Chicagoan, who remembers at least as far back as the 1950s, a near North side park called “Bughouse Square”; where people used to LITERALY stand on soap boxes to complain about nearly everything from politics to probably even their kitchen sink!
[It probably dated back, at least, to the days of “Prohibition” or the Great Depression! (Hmmm…Wikipedia?)]
I think its use faded out sometime after the Vietnam Era, though…I used to park my car around there for certain downtown Chicago musical ‘gigs’, and never saw much action on the weekends, post-1970s.
[Why do I suspect that the Reagan Era killed it?]
Anyway AUM; I think I agree with just about everything you ‘mini-ranted’ about.

I say…express YOUR truth, without fear and guilt!
This is GifS, after all…not some oppressive mind fucking site!
LET FREEDOM RING!!!
(takes deep breath!…
cough, cough!)

I’ve ben doing some missionary work to convert my family members to the logic based belief system side. Lets just hope the mindset spreads.

Don’t forget of the press too, Naomi. What with sources and reporters getting arrested for publishing information that the Bush gestapo doesn’t like, and myself getting censored in a SCHOOL NEWSPAPER for writing an article exposing Israel’s influence behind our attack on Iraq and our upcoming attack on Iran.

The last article we had to write was on censorship. I wrote one and then black highlighted out everything. Suffice to say, it was never published. I hope the journalism teacher got my point.

Well the sad thing was that not only did everyone in the journalism class read it, and EVERY SINGLE STUDENT had nothing but positive comments, and they all told me they agree with me, but the teacher also PROMISED ME that both articles would see print.

My first article had over 40 sources from many international and reputable newspapers and sources. The second only around 20, 25.

Yet the journalism teacher once picked up a Star Wars novel I was reading and announced something along the lines of this is why you can’t tell the difference between fantasy and reality. Wonder what’s she saying now that the Bush regime is gearing up for another invasion based on lies in Iran… just like I said they would more than a YEAR AGO.

She also praised someone who wrote some stupid little kiss ass article as the best writer in the class. I guess it’s easy to be the best writer when you aren’t destroying the teacher’s opinions.

Obviously she never heard the comments from my fellow classmates. Of course, no one criticizes Israel and gets away with it.

I also asked around the school and most of the people in the school said they’d rather read an article that had something important to say about the real world than some unimportant story about something at the school, or that REM deprivation causes insanity.

The only article I got printed was a tiny ass thing about Spanish club that also got a negative reaction from the teacher. Simply put, I went in that class to put some published material in a writing portfolio. What I got out of it was a hatred for journalism, a better understanding of the bias in journalism, and absolutely nothing to show for it as far as my portfolio goes.

Said thing is the teacher was always bitching about the higher ups looking over her shoulder and trying to censor the paper. Too bad she’s a fucking hypocrite.

But that’s okay, when I’m writing movie scripts she’ll still be teaching at a community college… AND I’ll end up being proven right.