Going Inkless

     NOBODY likes to pay taxes.  Even the least materialistic left-leaning person would rather hang on to  the money they've earned and spend it as they choose.  If you recognize the need to make money in order to take care of the practical stuff in life, you tend to want to keep those gains without having to hand over any more than you have to.  The instinct to take care of number one is a pretty basic one.  So, why do we have taxes that everybody would rather not pay?  Is it because the evil government just wants to waste more of your money on programs and projects you don't use?  The question really becomes why do we have government, and what is it  before we can even get to the matter of taxes.      That basic selfish instinct I spoke of takes on an interesting form in social animals.  There is recognition that we're much more likely to survive in groups, which leads us to form families, communities and cou...

Americans have an odd relationship with politics. Some are obsessed with it, vocal champions of their side who give passionate sermons on the issues of the day. They never pass up an opportunity to debate, loudly, because it just isn't fun without a fight. Others are apathetic or so disgusted by the ceaseless bickering that they would prefer to avoid the subject altogether . Before and after every election, we hear news stories about how Americans just don't care to vote. And who can blame them after being subjected to months of mud slinging, negative ads, telephone polls, and a ton and a half of junk mail from both sides (each declaring their opponent to be just short of a baby eating monster?) Who can blame them when elected officials are exposed as scoundrels on a regular basis? How is a person supposed to choose in a maelstrom of misinformation, hyperbole, and rampant insincerity? All of that works to the advantage of many political candidates. What remains of th...