Every month, I see a chunk of my paycheck go toward things like free school meals and cancer treatment here in the UK. It feels good to know I’m helping others, but it’s annoying when the government spends money on useless projects.
Some places like Norway and Denmark seem to manage well with high taxes and happy people. But plenty of folks think taxes are just theft.
So what happens if we scrap taxes? Could society keep running smoothly, or would it turn into a mess? Would people willingly fund the things they care about, or would everything just fall apart?
What if we funded roads with ads, like websites? Basic stuff like life-saving healthcare could be free, but extras like cosmetic surgery could cost more. It works online… why not offline?
Darian said:
What if we funded roads with ads, like websites? Basic stuff like life-saving healthcare could be free, but extras like cosmetic surgery could cost more. It works online… why not offline?
Interesting idea, but what happens if the company paying for the road runs out of money? Or if the roads fall apart—who fixes them? I can’t vote out a company like I can vote out politicians.
@Ash
If one company fails, another will take over the ads. If the roads get bad, people will just use better ones built by competitors. It’s competition—companies would have to keep roads in good shape to attract traffic.
@Darian
That works where there’s competition, but what if there’s only one road? People would have no choice but to use it, no matter how bad it gets. And what if ad revenue crashes during a recession? Would the government still step in to keep things running?
@Ash
In remote places, companies could share the infrastructure—like how cell towers are shared. And worker cooperatives might handle downturns better than private companies. They’re usually more stable when the market takes a hit.
Darian said:
What if we funded roads with ads, like websites? Basic stuff like life-saving healthcare could be free, but extras like cosmetic surgery could cost more. It works online… why not offline?
How would a freemium military work though? Would tanks have logos, or would airstrikes come as a paid upgrade?
@Eliot
I don’t think we even need full-scale militaries anymore. Most countries don’t invade each other for no reason these days. Small local militias could handle it if needed.
What if people just paid for what they wanted? You care about free meals or healthcare, so donate to charities. Let people choose instead of forcing everyone to pay taxes.
StephieStephie said:
What if people just paid for what they wanted? You care about free meals or healthcare, so donate to charities. Let people choose instead of forcing everyone to pay taxes.
That sounds good in theory, but I don’t have time to research which charities I can trust. Plus, charities don’t always raise enough, and many are just as shady as governments.
StephieStephie said:
What if people just paid for what they wanted? You care about free meals or healthcare, so donate to charities. Let people choose instead of forcing everyone to pay taxes.
Are you fully against taxes, or do you just want them lowered?
That kind of system existed hundreds of years ago, and it was awful. Kids worked in factories, the poor lived in slums, and most people couldn’t afford education or healthcare. Doesn’t sound better to me.
Everyone should just pay for the services they use. Basic stuff like roads or fire services can be shared, but I shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s needs.
Cass said:
Everyone should just pay for the services they use. Basic stuff like roads or fire services can be shared, but I shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s needs.
That only works if you don’t care about others. Some of us think helping others is part of living in a community.
Bevin said:
You say your taxes fund good things like healthcare, but what about wars and corruption? You can’t ignore the bad stuff.
Fair point, but do you think private companies wouldn’t fund wars if taxes disappeared? Look at Tancítaro in Mexico—businesses there fund their own militias. In a tax-free system, big companies would just have their own armies.
