Noam Chomsky: April 15 Celebration Taxes
on Thursday, June 30, 2016Noam Chomsky Money Quote saying if Americans realized how taxes support our democracy, April 15 would be a day of celebration. Noam Chomsky said:
“April 15th. In a functioning democratic society that would be a day of celebration, the day you hand in your taxes. You would be saying: ‘Alright, we got together, we worked out some plans and programs that we think ought to be implemented and we’re now participating in providing the funding to get these things done.’ That’s a democracy” — Noam Chomsky
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In this quote, Noam Chomsky is contrasting how April 15th (tax day in the U.S.) is viewed versus how it could be viewed differently in a truly democratic society. The best interpretation is:
- Chomsky argues that in a well-functioning democracy, tax day would be a day of celebration rather than dread, where citizens see paying taxes as a positive civic duty.
- People would feel engaged in the democratic process of collectively deciding on programs and policies through their elected representatives, and taxes would be a way to actively participate in funding those joint priorities.
- His view is that a democracy should empower people to have a real voice in how their tax money is spent, so they view payment as investment in initiatives they support rather than being detached from the process.
- The overall message is Chomsky’s belief that greater citizen participation and control over budget decisions could change the current antagonistic view of taxes into one of civic participation and investment in one’s own governance.