It seems we're regressing back to the era of sumptuary taxation.

I drive, and I vote. Alas these days it seems there is nobody I can honestly vote for.

It is to be hoped that the politicians insist that their offsets are paid out of the public purse,that the peasants can undersatnd the New Feudalism which is upon them.

I drive, and I vote. Alas these days it seems there is nobody I can honestly vote for.

Sure there is: UKIP. The ONLY party that would actually shrink the state. The only one.

I will not be voting this coming election. UKIP is probably the closest party to me, but that's like saying "I'm going to go to Andromeda 'cause it's the nearest galaxy," - it's still two million light years away. I refuse to vote for a candidate who does not represent me. UKIP, unfortunately, do not represent me.

Instead of voting, I will be engaging in the, doubtless fruitless, task of writing letters to every person standing for office for whom I can find appropriate contact details, explaining why I will not be voting for them.

Do we really care what Cameron has to say to get the Conservatives back in power? I don't. New Labour has taught us that lesson, and a very valuable lesson it is.

Whats your beef with the UKIP, Cynical?

Cynical Libertarian,

UKIP does seem a bit Daily Maily and bufferish but if you look at their stated positions they do seem to have broadened their approach beyond simply wanting to pull out of the EU. And, they seem genuinely to believe in the power of freedom.

I decided to vote for them last time round on the basis that they were the lesser of four evils but after finding out a bit more about them I didn't have to hold my nose as tightly as I thought I would in the polling booth.

At least you get to choose if you want to bother to vote! Us Aussies have had compulsory democracy for years- We have to vote, or we'll be fined for not voting! The trouble with this, apart from the compulsion, is also that governments then claim to have a mandate for whatever they do, since the whole country voted! I suppose it stops small parties with committed members from having an undue influence. That kept out the communists, but it would also stop some party like UKIP. But, of course, Democracy has come to mean, after all, that the majority is always right.

Nick,

Sorry, but Australia doesn't have compulsory voting. It has compulsory attendance at the voting booths (which is bad enough), but no one can actually make you vote.

Even attendance is bad, and the powers that bedazzle still claim that 100% attendance gives them a great mandate! It's a shame that negative votes aren't allowed- pollies could only win if they had more for than against them! Then I'd like to vote!

Thad, how'd the smoking day go? Can we have an update, or did the state do nothing in the face of such provocation?

Re: ”UKIP. The ONLY party that would actually shrink the state.”

Given what looks like an orchestrated campaign to hit them from every direction, will they still be around come the next election?

Re: ”…what Cameron has to say to get the Conservatives back in power”

I don’t trust a politician to do what they promise, so why would anyone rely on one doing what they wanted when they hadn’t even suggested they might.

When I have to vote I normally try to vote for the candidate I disagree with least.

I kinda want Labour to get back in power so that we get a complete train wreck of a country. Then things might start to improve.

I kinda want Labour to get back in power so that we get a complete train wreck of a country. Then things might start to improve.

Well, I think the New Labour sociofascists will agree with you on that...though they tend to prefer "change" rather than "improve".

This car tax thing is daft even on its own terms. I have a large-engined car that I use about once every two weeks; I don't even buy into the whole AGW religion and I have a smaller "carbon footprint" than most people I know; and I'm to be penalised for keeping my car in the garage.

I could rant about what's really going on but in the end it all just boils down to politics, and politics sucks.

Rob,

Precisely. That is what demonstrates that it is about social engineering, not even ostensibly environmental. If it were, a fuel tax would be the obvious choice. Both for environmental, and road maintenance purposes.

I kinda want Labour to get back in power so that we get a complete train wreck of a country. Then things might start to improve.

I agree that the trainwreck might be a catalyst for change and want Labour to get back in for that reason, but there is another; if Cameron actually wins an election he will be vindicated in his tactics of taking the Conservative party in a statist direction, so returning to freedom will be that much harder. If he loses the Conservatives might just drop him and find a leader who will at least talk about reducing the role of the state like he (or she) means it.

The only grounds for optimism at the moment (and God knows it's minimal grounds) is that even the likes of Cameron feel some need to say they are Libertarians "at heart". Although he is quite clearly lieing, he must be saying that for a reason; is there an undercurrent of libertarianism that he wants to tap into? Are there more of us than we thought?

When did Dave claim to be a Libertarian?

I mean, we gotta know. Are Samizdata HQ piping Libertarian thoughts to the hidden antenna in Dave's windmill?

I've felt a lot better ever since I stopped legitimizing the bastards by falling for their 'Turkey trick' and voting for any of them. When the national voting figures get down to local council rates of 10% or less, we'll see them get really nervous and it won't just be hectoring posters everywhere telling us that if we don't vote, we have no say, but the Soviet/Australian option will be wielded to force us to vote. And then we'll know we really do have them on the rack, and close to complete Soviet-style de-legitimization. The only important question is are we ready for the day, if it ever comes, that the British government does finally implode? Do we have the legal, fiscal, and secessionary policies in place ready to move at a moment's notice to capitalize quickly on such a collapse?

Obviously I'm too busy smoking cigars and drinking cocktails to help on this front, and because I rarely read anything other than the sports pages in newspapers, unless Liz Hurley is on the front cover in a particularly tight dress, I can offer little intellectual help on this policy-making front.

However, while these tax angels dance on the head of their regulatory pin, I'm pinning my hopes on you, Sir Thaddeus, and hoping that your full and comprehensive plan will be ready when the glorious day of libertarian revolution falls upon us, and we rip the state apart in the three days necessary to burn all of their paper laws, exchange all their fiduciary media for what little gold remains in the Bank of England, and magnetize their computer disks holding all of the intrusive personal details they hold against us, with electro-sledgehammers.

Not that I'm a fantasist or anything.

"Gaiacide" - now that has legs!

The only important question is are we ready for the day, if it ever comes, that the British government does finally implode? Do we have the legal, fiscal, and secessionary policies in place ready to move at a moment's notice to capitalize quickly on such a collapse?

I've actually thought of this quite a bit. In the US, we have fully functional state governments to fall back on. For everthing but the major 'entitlements' (vote buying) that is. They would of necessity be much less redistributionist for at least a little while.

What of UK? Well, you do have one thing going for you. It appears you have never retired a layer of government ever. I expect King Alfred's official pigeon chaser is still on pay roll somewhere. A simple chronological roll back of government would probably be quite appropriately useful.

Contrary to many here, I think that the monarchy, while appearing mostly symbolic, actually has historical powers of which it hasn't been formally devested. If it weren't for Charles apparent detachment from the temporal world, I think they could be useful.

I've actually thought of this quite a bit. In the US, we have fully functional state governments to fall back on.

Not just state, either. If everybody who got a paycheck from the State of Colorado stayed home, the water, sewer, and trash services would still happen. So woutd police and fire and hospitals and public schools. They'd all have money and administrative problems, but there's still at least some degree of local control.

I mean, we gotta know. Are Samizdata HQ piping Libertarian thoughts to the hidden antenna in Dave's windmill?

He's learning by osmosis. Someone slapped him upside the head with a copy of "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress."

...a fuel tax would be the obvious choice. Both for environmental, and road maintenance purposes.

Alisa, I've never seen that on a show- 'He died from taxes!'. I think the state cleverly taxes people to near-death, but doesn't actually kill the gooses who pay for the state's golden nest-eggs.
Or is this a new right- in some states, you can drive even if dead? Now THAT'S progress!

In some states you can vote even if dead, so why not drive?