[BlueTrain]

I don't think politicians are so bad, having met some and known one or two, all local. There are some things that are bad about politics, mostly having to do with money but if you're going to have government, there will be politics. It exists in most organizations totally non-governmental. One might even say the constitution was written by politicians. I suppose there is no politics in a monarchy but even that's probably not true. Even total dictatorships have politics after a fashion.

You are correct, Mr. Mehavey, in that the Stamp Act sowed the seeds of revolution and I even said that. Not all revolutions are caused by tax issues, of course, and not all taxes are levied with the consent of those who pay the taxes. That's why I mentioned the extra taxes you pay when you stay in a hotel. The local folks don't stay in the hotels.

I still hold that the chief purpose of a tax is raising money. Some taxes are easier to pass than other, although such taxes could easily be seen as attempts at social modification. Think of "sin taxes." But in any case, all governments exist, partly, as a form of social control. All societies prefer some form of government over anarchy, even though there seems to be a problem with that here and there. But generally speaking, I'd have to say to claim that using taxes to "shape" society is a weak argument.

There is a lot more to be said about taxes but it's getting off the point.