Lights, Cameras—Activism!
Must-see movie to hit theatres July 28. Here's a review.
posted by Julie at 7/27/2006 07:30:00 AM
Thursday, July 27, 2006
About Me
- Name: Julie
- Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
In many ways I’m an enigma. I don’t fit neatly on either side of the traditional left-right political spectrum. I love my country but I fear my government. As someone who detests big government in all its forms, I have been an outspoken critic of both Republican and Democratic policies. The ACLU would abhor me, but James Dobson may not like me any better. In a nutshell, I'm a Christian patriot who believes passionately in individual liberty, personal responsibility, limited government and the sacredness of human life.
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- Salt and Light, Spiderman Style
- Wielding the Veto Pen for Good
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- Freedom Church: A Bastion of Liberty
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4 Comments:
Wow superchick, now THATS a movie review. Wonder if it will play here in Eastern Europe? D
Sounds like an interesting movie, if a bit extravagant with its generalizations. I'm no fan of the IRS, and the story with which the review opens is a horrifying and terrible example of power run amok, but to label any portion of American government "fascist" or "communist" is a stretch of epic proportions.
I oppose the income tax - I feel that it enables a bloated Federam bureaucracy and establishes the Government as the ultimate ruler of our finances (It would take a while to explain this, maybe I'll do so at my blog) - but Jesus commands us to pay our taxes, and Paul echoes his command.
I much prefer the FairTax solution championed by Alan Keyes and others, which would institute a National Sales Tax in place of the IRS and the income tax. Simpler, cheaper, and voluntary, while also providing the advantage of showing us every day how much the government costs us.
Time will tell, Dr. D! For a while C-Span was covering this issue fairly regularly, but I heard that the government "asked" them to stop. The same thing happened when USA Today started running ads exposing the fraudulent nature of our tax system, paid for by a group called We The People for Constitutional Education.
Here’s an interesting question for you, Crimson Line: Did Jesus or Paul command us to pay any tax for which we are not liable? Paul’s wording in Romans 13:7 is rather intriguing in this light: “Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes” (the key word being "if").
From what I’ve read, the movie makes a good case that the individual income tax has been improperly applied to the general population, when such a broad application is not warranted by the Internal Revenue Code. Of course, that doesn't mean it would be wise to put that theory to the test. As the saying goes, it's dangerous to be right when you're government is wrong!
Fascism, in a nutshell, is an economic system in which the central government has control of private property. I think a good argument can be made that there are elements of such as system here, especially in the excessive federal regulation of privately owned businesses. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is another example. My dad bought land in Pennsylvania, and later he was told he couldn’t build on it because it had recently been designated a federal wetland (of course no one knew it was a wetland before he bought it). This is happening to landowners across this country, and the definition of what constitutes a wetland is pretty insane from what I understand.
I like what you said about the income tax establishing the government as the ultimate ruler of our finances—very well said! I also see it as a means of choking up wealth that could be invested in businesses (thereby creating more job opportunities) or donated to churches or private charities (interesting how charitable giving skyrocketed when Reagan cut tax rates in the 1980s). I look forward to reading more about this topic in your blog!
Just FYI - I have just posted on the income tax issue at my blog.
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