Wanna have #digitalsovereignty? The EU should fund the independent nonprofit development of a #FOSS browser (engine) and an open search index.
While that would be far from a waste of taxpayer money I have to ask: what's keeping EU citizens from donating to these projects on their own ?
@publiclewdness Nothing I guess. Having an EU fund would just share the burden among more people.
You look at it as sharing the burden but taxes are stealing people's money no matter how it's sliced. I would rather lower taxes and have people donate of their own free will. Granted if the option is stealing their money for FOSS funding or stealing it for missles or free crackpipes then i'll take FOSS funding.
I don't just believe it but it's an objective fact. If you substitute the word government with private citizen then it becomes a crime in pretty much any country. Imagine going up to somebody and asking for 20% of their pay cheque and if they refuse you try to stick them in a tiny cell and if they fight that then you can use lethal force. Cut and dry that is taxes in a nutshell. If you think i'm wrong then stop paying taxes and find out. Simple experiment.
@publiclewdness This doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to me. Why would I substitute the term "government" with "private citizen"? They are not the same.
Where do you think the schools you attended are paid with? The roads you drive on? The hospitals that save your life after an accident? The police that comes over when you suffered a break-in (=the real stealing)?
The reason I said to substitute the word is because people seem to be fine with the government doing things that are illegal for everyone else. That is insane. They should be beholden to the same laws I am. If I can't use the threat of force to take someone's money than neither should they. Roads; schools; hospitals; can all be privatized. I pay for roads I will never use every pay day; have never called the police in my life; have never been to a hospital since I started paying taxes; I pay 20-37% of my pay cheque for services I get nothing out of. I pay so people who give nothing back to the system can abuse it and use it all.
@ilumium @publiclewdness
I do think some taxes are required and have a purpose. It's just government overreach that really doesn't sell the need for it.
Let alone having the EU, having that in the the same sentence as sovereignty comes off as counterproductive. Unless the EU goes back to a trading block or reverses all their senseless "hatespeech" laws in their member states and nullifies censorship, there will never really be any kind of #digitalsovereignty.
@xyfdi @publiclewdness I agree that not all taxes would be required or are even fair. The mega rich should be taxed *much* more for example while taxes on work and basic necessities should much lower.
I don't think the EU would be better as a pure trading block.
@ilumium @publiclewdness
The mega-rich should be taxed like anyone else. In addition to this a) stop subsidies of any kind b) invoke an anti-corruption unit so a government can function as it should without the influence of business turning laws into their favour. c) No more preferential treatment.
EU was doing fine as trading block. I do see a use for standardized plug, cables and energy networks. Its all that political stuff where it 💩 the 🛏️ .
@ilumium @publiclewdness
Also d) Make sure government find an obtuse way for the market to function without dodgy monopolies and such.
@publiclewdness If you really believe that taxes are stealing people's money I don't think we'll be able to agree on much here, sorry.