The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. And this post will be too damned long. I apologize.
Even though I officially joined the Ricochet family over a year ago, I’ve not posted, commented, or initiated a conversation. Instead, I’ve lurked. And I’ve been more than slightly resentful that the trigger that convinced me to join were the promised Long/Goldberg/Steyn chats – of which there have been a grand total of ONE. Guys, come on.
Nevertheless – not that I’m not still waiting for that second chat at all (I AM!) – the Ricochet enterprise is worthwhile, terrific, and edifying. Ricochet members are the best, and the conversations are high-level and brilliant. Kudos to you all. (Still, though….)
Okay. I’m the author of 15 novels. The last one debuted at #3 on the New York Times Bestseller List. I’m doing well. Finally, after 53 years of busting my butt in business and now writing, well, I’m living the dream. Like most of the 1% (I’d guess) I didn’t come from money. My parents wouldn’t even know money if it whapped them upside the head. Now, at last, it’s rolling in.
Here’s my proposition. When it comes to taxes and our government, I simply want to opt out. I want our government to defend me and my children from bad guys, but beyond that I don’t expect (or want) more. Obviously, I side with conservatives and libertarians more than liberals or progressives or I wouldn’t be here. But I can’t honestly say I trust anyone in government. Which leads to my proposition: I want to opt out.
BACKGROUND (and this is important): I live in a flyover state that belongs 50% to the feds (Wyoming). Think about it. I live in a massive western state administered by unelected federal bureaucrats who call the shots when it comes to land use, resource management, and access to the land that feeds and nurtures us. Therefore, I (and my neighbors) have an intimate relationship with our federal government in a way many don’t comprehend or understand. And many of those feds are simpering bastards. So… to my proposition.
I would gladly, willingly, joyfully sign a contract or agreement with my government that said I would pay 20-25% of my income (which is low seven figures this year thanks to my readers) if they’d just LEAVE ME THE [EXPLETIVE] ALONE. Meaning I can buy and use the light bulbs I want to buy and use the toilet I want to flush (once, not twice), etc. I could buy health insurance or pay cash to my doctor if I chose, send my children across town to the school I chose, and show a biometric “Opt Out” card to the TSA at airports so I wouldn’t be treated like a criminal for the crime of travelling.
In exchange, I’d agree in writing not to accept any government entitlements; i.e. Social Security, Medicare, etc. Nothing. I don’t want a dime of it. My money would go to the poor saps who need or (sadly) simply want it. I’d consider it protection money in the same way that a small business pays the local mafia not to mess up their place of business. In my part of the world, it has come to this.
The pure ideological types will object to this. I understand. But I'd guess they don't live where I do, or comprehend what it's like to be so far gone there is no going back. I wish it were different, but it isn't.
If Mitt Romney supported the “Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone” Opt-Out Option, I would donate to Mitt.
Who is with me?*
*Obviously, there are complications to the “Opt-Out” clause. I know that. Things like driving on taxpayer-funded highways, blah-blah-blah. But if they got 20-25% of my income with no obligation to send any of it back to me, I think the saps and losers actually win. Which means the federal government.
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Comments:
Nov '10
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
Ditto on the Long/Goldberg/Steyn, Love your books and your idea CJ!
The proposed ban on Farmer's kids under 18 doing certain chores
is such a folly if it were not so sad. I ask again, What is the price we will not pay?
Nov '11
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
Canned goods and bullets.
Jul '11
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
Mollie Hemmingway, if you want to survive when the trucks stop running, you'll do much better in Wyoming than the east coast, especially your hood. I'll head to Idaho I suppose and flirt with Mormon conversion so my neighbors keep bringing me pies special bibles until the trucks run again. Plenty of game to harvest too. Surviving in bad times means good neighbors and family.
Jun '10
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
The key to survival will be to have tangible assets. Land is best especially if you have a home on it with a modest mortgage. It doesn't matter if your home value drops as long as you can maintain the monthly mortgage payment. Assets also provide you with financial leverage provided you have little or no consumer debt.
Now, look at the flip side. Those dependent on the government with no assets will get hit the hardest. Benefits will either be cut, or if maintained they'll be eroded by inflation. The price of dependency will become abundantly clear for everyone who bought into the lie. Bread riots are as old as civilization. We'll see massive civil disorder for sure, but it will occur mainly in the inner cities where rates of dependency are high.
Self-sufficiency will be the new rule, and that's a good thing.
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
Great post, CJ, and welcome to the conversation. I completely sympathize with your desire to get govt off your back. But I tend to agree with Mollie, Paules, etc. that the best way forward is not individual opt-outs, but a smaller gov't that gets off of everyone's back. I wouldn't want liberals to try to opt out of paying taxes to the Pentagon by promising to capitulate to any foreign invader!
Aug '10
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
Clem Comly: Grand total of 1 SGL? There have been 3: Misty, Meerkats take down Cheney, and Butch Key. Check out http://ricochet.com/members/ricochet-roundtable and I envy you the joy of listening to them for the first time. I was hoping they would at least record the NR cruise SGL as they promised.
As to opting out for 25%, the wealth redistributionists will never go for that low a percentage. · 2 hours ago
Watching Lileks, Goldberg, Steyn, and Roman Genn sitting in for Rob Long was probably one of the best hours I have ever witnessed. Since it started late, and they served drinks in the auditorium on board, darned near perfect.
Absolute hilarity. Sad note, they did touch on the prior year dustup between Bernie Goldberg and Andrew Breitbart. There will not be a rematch, what a shame on so many levels.
Jul '11
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
Astonishing: Or you could move to France.
But seriously, I don't get it that libertarian types fancy themselves the mostpracticalof political creatures--stern, no nonsense fellows who aren't afraid to make their own way in the real world . . . but then most everything they propose belongs in the category of "ain't never gonna happen in a million years in the real world."
Yet while explaining your "ain't never gonna happen" proposition, you complain that "pure ideological types will object to this." Hmmm???
Instead of opting out (the political equivalent of holding your breath until you turn blue and pass out), why not get in the game (i.e., get to work doing somethingpracticalabout the things you don't like)?
So the answer to the problem of too many people trying to enforce their will and values into my life is to get into the game and to enforce my will and values into their lives? Really? Do you not think that if I demand to be left alone that I have the responsibility to leave others alone?
Mar '12
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
The thing about your idea, C.J., is that it's pretty much the way it was supposed to be when the Founders envisioned and started the joint.
Apr '11
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
How funny that you should mention the lack of SGL, just yesterday I listened for the 4th time to the Butch Key on my ipod while gardening. I spent a wonderful hour laughing out loud and confirming the neighbors fears.
SGL was the cherry on top.
May '10
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
CJ, will you please contact the Romney administration and express a willingness to run as Mitt's VP candidate? (I long for the State of the Union address that begins "If I don't see some improvements in how Congress works, PDQ, it's about to get real Western in here". 8^)
Welcome to the conversation, and my thanks to the dark and twitchy Hugh Hewitt for introducing me to your work.
Feb '12
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
Our Founders and Framers petitioned the king, declared independence, fought a six-year war with a paltry militia and scant supplies, and debated and approved the Constitution - all without writing any expletives.
Might republican liberty depend for its maintenance on the sort of education, manners, and dignity that does not countenance coarseness in political debate?
Nov '10
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
Initially I wondered if this was a CoC violation with only two stars obscuring letters in the profanity implied.
I'm so much more comfortable now that it has been upgraded from a 2 star to a 4 star post.
Mr. Box, I agree in general with your proposition, but I'm not sure about some details. It's probably a good start, and I think you're onto something. But I will say that I believe my eldest brother would be wildly enthusiastic about it.
Maybe a philosophical problem: paying a large chunk of one's income to be "left alone" is a bit like bully protection money, isn't it? Or ... perhaps that's your point.
Aug '11
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
With sufficient income in Wyoming, you can pretty much barricade yourself in and ignore the federal government and they'll likely ignore you, as long as you make your payments. You are much more likely to be bothered by local government and local regulation.
Our political process has created quite a mess - a mess that our founders tried to discourage. However, TR, Wilson, FDR, Kennedy, Johnson and now, Obama, have trashed the country with their good intentions. We're like ship whose cargo has been divied up, good sail cloth cut up for clothing and extra spars burned for warmth. Now we're running out of provisions, propelled by threadbare sails on wounded spars and have barely enough able seamen to get to port, much less return to commercial trade.
You can hide in the woods in Wyoming, but that will not help right the ship.
Edited on April 25, 2012 at 7:43pmNov '11
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
Fake John Galt
. . . So the answer to the problem of too many people trying to enforce their will and values into my life is to get into the game and to enforce my will and values into their lives? Really? . . .
Yes, really.
That persistent little problem of human willfulness is called "politics," unless you use illegitimate force, in which case it's called "crime" or "war."
As a dead white guy of declining reputation noted, man is a political animal, and whoever does not live in a political community is either a god or a beast. Therefore, politics is rather inescapable.
More than inescapable, politics is so much a part of our nature that participation in politics (i.e., "both to rule well and to be ruled well") is necessary for the complete fulfillment of our individual humanity .
So . . . unless you live the monocular life of a private cave--you are "in the game" whether or not you want to be.
If you want out . . . well . . . like I said, don't hold your breath.
Jan '11
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
Come to think of it, though ... doesn't it bother anyone that about half the population isn't paying anything for the services the rest of us can't opt out of?
Jun '10
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
Where do I sign in to opt out?
Mar '11
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
Ditto. Oh, well, such is Capitalism - so unfair!
CJ, as Mr Biden would say (or was it Mr Schumer?) you can't opt out of the privileges of being a US citizen - like, um, Jury duty and taxes.
Of course, many more US citizens are renouncing their citizenship these days - that is one way you could opt out. Probably the only way.
I am a US citizen by choice, and had to crawl over broken glass to get it, so I maybe appreciate it more than those who are "natural born". So I'd be a little reluctant to give it up.
As Mr Steyn (of the ill-fated SGI podcast) often says - there ain't anywhere left to escape to, anyway.
Your best hope might be if Texas departs from the US - then I might be tempted to move there, also!
Or, the USA could return to the way it was founded - but that seems unlikely. The best we can hope for is Mr Romney, rather than Mr Obama.
Edited on April 25, 2012 at 8:51pmRe: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
I apologize for writing there has been only one SLG podcast when there have actually been three. My mistake.
But here's to more!
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
C.J. - welcome! We have to get you on the long-rumored novelist podcast with Drew Klavan.
Re: The Leave Me The [Expletive] Alone Opt-Out Proposition
James, I'm a huge fan of yours. Count me in.