How long does one own property, and what resources are used by structures on that property that the community has to supply, maintain, or upgrade? What damage might said structures cause to the community while in use? What is lost by the community by selling that property to a private owner? How does a community fund its own services, governance, police, fire department? How are roads and power lines built?
Now, what community is incurring costs by someone owning a stake in a business? What resources does that transfer of money take away from the community? What is the community? What did that community supply to make it possible to invest in that company or buy that stock?
It might not be rocket science, but it is not a “no brainer”. Stocks, like “intellectual property”, have no physical presence. They are not semi-permanent objects taking physical space or requiring physical resources to create or maintain over time. They do not take physical resources that can no longer be used elsewhere.
Pretending businesses exist in a vacuum is a very weird take. The government spends a considerable amount of time and cost in maintaining business interests. Maintaining the legal framework for business to operate so we’re not Mad Maxxing for more petrol is, on it’s own, justification. Then there’s the intellectual property side of things. Law enforcement. Military action. Foreign relations. The SEC and similar agencies that exist solely to facilitate business.
That’s why we have the taxes we have. As you point out, business works with the help of society. However, taxing it as property is a completely messed up approach and will lead to there being little incente to to invest. That’s why we tax profit, not mere existance, as we do for property.
MasterBlaster@lemmy.world 1 day ago
How long does one own property, and what resources are used by structures on that property that the community has to supply, maintain, or upgrade? What damage might said structures cause to the community while in use? What is lost by the community by selling that property to a private owner? How does a community fund its own services, governance, police, fire department? How are roads and power lines built?
Now, what community is incurring costs by someone owning a stake in a business? What resources does that transfer of money take away from the community? What is the community? What did that community supply to make it possible to invest in that company or buy that stock?
It might not be rocket science, but it is not a “no brainer”. Stocks, like “intellectual property”, have no physical presence. They are not semi-permanent objects taking physical space or requiring physical resources to create or maintain over time. They do not take physical resources that can no longer be used elsewhere.
Folstar@lemmus.org 22 hours ago
Pretending businesses exist in a vacuum is a very weird take. The government spends a considerable amount of time and cost in maintaining business interests. Maintaining the legal framework for business to operate so we’re not Mad Maxxing for more petrol is, on it’s own, justification. Then there’s the intellectual property side of things. Law enforcement. Military action. Foreign relations. The SEC and similar agencies that exist solely to facilitate business.
MasterBlaster@lemmy.world 10 hours ago
That’s why we have the taxes we have. As you point out, business works with the help of society. However, taxing it as property is a completely messed up approach and will lead to there being little incente to to invest. That’s why we tax profit, not mere existance, as we do for property.
go_go_gadget@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
Boot licker says what?
go_go_gadget@lemmy.world 23 hours ago
🙄 Hey look it’s another loser who spends their free time bravely defending billionaires wealth.