@snugglefist @alex @ninapaley for instance, they will complain about "late-stage capitalism" being the reason for whatever their gripe happens to be. yet every single fortune 500 company recieves subsidies/contracts/investments from the government. major banks aren't allowed to fail despite the bafflingly irrisponsible behavior from their executives. regulations make it impossible for small businesses to compete with larger ones. individuals need the state's approval when making "private" transactions

you are taxed on everything you earn, then you're taxed again when you spend those earnings. some things you purchased will then be taxed annually. if you die, your wealth and property will then be taxed for a fourth time before making it to whomever you've left it to. on top of this, the state has mandated that you must be insured if you own a vehicle, which is a practical necessity thanks to how infrastructure is designed.

this isn't even touching DIE initiatives or minority-only scholarships. does all of this sound like the free exchange of goods and services, or is it more akin to a socialist nanny state that absorbs wealth from its productive demographics and doles it out to everyone else?