Robert A. Heinlein: Tax Receipt

Meaning of Robert A. Heinlein Money Quote: saying Following requirements, rules, and instructions as a member of society. Robert A. Heinlein said:
 

 

“Do this. Don’t do that. Stay back in line. Where’s tax receipt? Fill out form. Let’s see license. Submit six copies. Exit only. No left turn. No right turn. Queue up and pay fine. Take back and get stamped. Drop dead— but first get permit” — Robert A. Heinlein

In this quote, Robert A. Heinlein seems to be satirizing and exaggerating bureaucratic red tape and excessive rules and regulations. The best interpretation is that he is using hyperbolic language and staccato phrasing to mock the overbearing nature of governmental paperwork, restrictions and oversight in everyday life.

By listing an absurd number of demands, prohibitions and hoops to jump through, he aims to humorously highlight and criticize what he views as an overly regulated and controlled society. Overall, Heinlein appears to be employing sarcasm and ridicule to comment on the frustration of dealing with complex bureaucracy.

Birthday: July 7, 1907 – Death: May 8, 1988

Elizabeth Warren: Bank Fines Don’t Work

Elizabeth Warren Money Quote saying banks will not stop illegal actions until board members, executives are jailed, fired or held personally responsible. Fines don’t stop banks cheating. Elizabeth Warren said:
 

 

“Time after time, big banks cheat their customers and no actual human beings are being held accountable. Instead, there is a fine, which ultimately is paid for by shareholders and not by executives and certainly not by directors of the board. And nothing is going to change at these big banks if that doesn’t change” — Elizabeth Warren

In this quote, Elizabeth Warren is criticizing how large banks are not properly held accountable for wrongdoing. Some key points:

• She notes that banks “cheat their customers” repeatedly over time.
• When banks are fined, no individual executives or board members face personal consequences – only shareholders pay through the fine.
• This means there is no real incentive for leadership to change behaviors if the penalties do not target them individually.
• Warren argues that as long as fines are treated simply as a business expense by banks, rather than impacting those responsible, real reform will not happen.

Overall, she is arguing the system needs to change so that bank executives and directors face direct accountability and penalties for illegal/unethical actions, in order to incentivize changed behavior and deter future misconduct.

Susan B. Anthony: Fine an Unjust Penalty

Susan B. Anthony Money Quotation saying ‘NO’ in response to a judges fine of $100 for voting when women were not allowed to vote – so she was jailed by the government for that debt. A tax on feminism. Susan B. Anthony said:
 

 

“May it please your honor, I shall never pay a dollar of your unjust penalty. All the stock in trade I possess is a $10,000 debt, incurred by publishing my paper — The Revolution — four years ago, the sole object of which was to educate all women to do precisely as I have done, rebel against your man-made, unjust, unconstitutional forms of law, that tax, fine, imprison and hang women, while they deny them the right of representation in the government; and I shall work on with might and main to pay every dollar of that honest debt, but not a penny shall go to this unjust claim” — Susan B. Anthony

This quote from Susan B. Anthony suggests that she refused to pay an unjust fine that was imposed on her for voting as a woman in 1872, when women did not yet have the right to vote.

She implies the fine was illegitimate and unconstitutional since it was punishing her for exercising a right that was being denied to women.

Anthony emphasizes that she would continue working to pay off her $10,000 debt from publishing her women’s rights newspaper, but would not contribute “a penny” to this penalty, which she viewed as an unjust claim against her.

The quote highlights Anthony’s willingness to rebel against laws that denied women representation and equal treatment under the law, even at the risk of further fines or imprisonment.

Birthday February 15, 1820 – Death: March 13, 1906

Elizabeth Warren: Banks Launder Drug Money

Elizabeth Warren Money Quotation saying big banks are fined for laundering drug
money for the cartels, nobody goes to jail unless they use the product that made that
money. Elizabeth Warren said:
 

 

“If you’re caught with an ounce of cocaine, the chances are good your going to go jail. If it happens repeatedly, you may go to jail for the rest of your life, But evidently if you launder nearly a billion dollars for drug cartels and violate our international sanctions, your company pays a fine and you go home and sleep in your own bed at night” — Elizabeth Warren

In this quote, Elizabeth Warren is criticizing the disparity in how the justice system treats individual drug users/sellers compared to major financial institutions. She notes that possession of a small amount of cocaine can result in jail time, and repeat offenses in a life sentence.

However, Warren points out that when a large international bank like HSBC was found to have laundered nearly $1 billion for drug cartels and violated sanctions, they faced no criminal charges – only a fine.

The quote conveys Warren’s view that there is one set of rules/punishments for ordinary citizens, but another more lenient set for powerful corporations that break the law. She believes this double standard undermines equal justice and allows corporate crimes to effectively be treated as civil matters rather than serious criminal offenses.

John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Missouri

Malcolm St. Pier on Tax as Fine

Malcolm St. Pier Money Quotation saying that taxes and fines could be seen as equivalent, with different goals – both discouraging. Malcolm St. Pier said:
 

 

“A fine is a tax for doing something wrong. A tax is a fine for doing something right” — Malcolm St. Pier

This quote from Malcolm St. Pier suggests that the difference between a fine and a tax is essentially just semantics, as both penalize individuals financially.

The best interpretation is that St. Pier believed fines punish unlawful acts, while taxes have the effect of fining people simply for engaging in lawful and economically productive behavior.

According to St. Pier, earning an income, making profits, or otherwise benefiting financially from legal activities are “doing something right”, yet tax obligations take a portion of those gains as if they were wrongdoings requiring a penalty.

The implication is that St. Pier saw taxation less as a required civic duty and more as a way for governments to effectively fine citizens for success or virtuous conduct within the rules set by society and laws.