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Mon 15 Aug, 2005 02:00 pm
I often been curious about how our (US of A) government/society has been able to justify what are commonly called "sin taxes." You know, like extra special tax on booze or cigs and stuff like that. For example in Colorado if you operate a resturant and want to serve a glass of wine with dinner on Sunday evenings you have to buy, in addition to your regular license a special sunday license (a de facto sin tax) so anyway, last night we had some friends visting from Vienna and they were telling me about how, in Amsterdam, there was/is a tax on curtains in windows of your home or business with the reasoning that if you are a good christian you don't need curtians because you are living a sinless life and if you do need curtains you have something to hide and that, obviously, needs to be taxed. Now I do find this all somewhat amusing but I note that what I find most amusing is that there is the assumtpion that if you pay the tax it becomes ok to commit the sin (is this the protestant ethic?) which in the final analysis means that if you are poor and can't affort the tax then you are you must not sin but if you are wealthy enough to pay the tax than it isn't really sin anymore?
No, no, no. You've got it all wrong. See, it's a sin if it's something the preacher says the Bible says is wrong, and we just want those bad folks out there to pay extra taxes so they won't have to raise them on good people like all of us.
You're putting WAY too much thought into this, Dys.
Since the government runs on tax money, and they raise the money by taxing sin, you would think they would be all in favor of it.
Well Eva, you've been in my house and probably noticed that I only have shears for curtains. I am not sure if I am a sinner and need to pay the tax or I am pure as the driven snow. It's your call.
That would be your exhibitionist tax, then.
I believe the idea (in at least theory) is that a sin tax is a way to stop behavior that is not acceptable or "sinful". It is supposed to promote positive "sinless" behavior. Now in reality it is just a way to get more money. Government can say this is decrease people from smoking cigarettes. It makes them look good, while getting some extra cash.
I do find the curtain thing funny. I mean really, people that are doing naughty things behind their curtains may actually get a hoot out of having other people seeing them doing those naughty things
I wonder if there's an additional penalty for those who have curtains but leave them open?
Pay up, Dys. (Better you than me.)
You all are focussing too on the "sin" and not enough on the "tax".
Governments need to find some way to take your money and drinking wine, smoking or owning curtains are just as good a reason as any other to take your money.
The game is tax reform... which is just another way of saying "tax the other guy".
If the politically powerful have curtains, than cigarettes will be taxed. The trick is to tax things that the in people don't care much about.
The government cares more about your money than your morality.
dyslexia wrote:Well Eva, you've been in my house and probably noticed that I only have shears for curtains.
I was thinking you wanted people to watch.
That was my point ebrown - it is a "nice" way to collect money. It makes the government look like it is trying to stop bad behavior, when in reality it is just another way to collect money.
Of course it is. That's exactly what I've been saying. It's about making the "bad people" (you know who they are
) pay for things instead of us "good folks."
Re: Sin tax
dyslexia wrote:...last night we had some friends visting from Vienna and they were telling me about how, in Amsterdam, there was/is a tax on curtains in windows of your home or business with the reasoning that if you are a good christian you don't need curtians because you are living a sinless life and if you do need curtains you have something to hide and that, obviously, needs to be taxed.
Interesting how there are multiple explanations for a tax too. I'd always heard (including from Europeans) that the curtian tax was imposed because having curtians was a sign of wealth. The poor supposedly couldn't afford them and, if the wealthy could afford the firvolity of having curtians then it was presumed that they could afford to be taxed more... An early attempt at a progressive tax system.
so if i leave my windows open,
do the people who crowd around have to pay
tax as well?
Nah. We can watch and still be good people. We just can't DO any of that nasty stuff.
Weren't you paying attention in Sunday School?
no
the curtains were in the way.
Well then, let me explain it to you.
You can talk about it, you can fantasize about it, you can watch it, and you can even secretly wish for it. But if you actually DO it, you're bad bad bad. And you should be taxed. (It's the new version of flogging, dontcha know.)
At least, that's the suburban evangelical school of thought.
Which explains why I don't live there.
> digs in wallet<
i got alot of penn'ace to pay here..
There are businesses (so I heard once) where the curtains are closed... and then when you pay, they open.
I am not sure if this is a "tax" though.
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