My Superlative Op Ed
This guy didn’t like my op ed calling to abolish the income tax:
The op-ed on income tax by Robert Murphy of Pacific Research Institute (“What do we get in return for our taxes?” April 5) couldn’t be farther from the point. He hates the income tax. Big deal: Everybody hates it. Everybody hates every tax. That means that Murphy is simply complaining, echoing everyone else’s complaint.
Suppose we eliminate the income tax, then what? Do we make massive cuts in the military, Medicare, welfare, highway and education? Or do we massively increase property taxes, or introduce punitive flat taxes or head taxes, or some combination?
Not everything from a think tank contains thought.
George Hastings
Delmar
First of all, of course I am in favor of cutting federal spending all over the place.
Second and more important, I really think people use the “couldn’t be further” phrase way too much. My piece really couldn’t be further from the point?! Suppose I had written, “We should abolish the income tax, because MacGyver didn’t use guns.” Now that would be really off-point.
You’re not doing to well lately Bob. When your writings are not gobbledygook, they are far off the point.
This guy answers his own question – massive cuts in the military, Medicare, welfare, highway and education are a perfect prescription.
Almost as irksome as when someone misuses the phrase “could care less” when he clearly intends to mean “couldN’T care less.” It is amazing how prevalent this is.
1. Murphy hates the income tax
2. Everybody hates the income tax
3. Therefore, Murphy has no point other than to complain like everyone else.
I appreciate that the man so clearly laid out his premises, but that conclusion comes out of nowhere. It’s pretty shocking that such reasoning is considered worthy of a published op-ed.
Just to clarify, I’m pretty sure it was just a Letter to the Editor.