Soul Time!
2004 | Soul
"Now tell me who's gonna buy their bombs, their tanks, their planes and all their guns. -- Well, tell me who's gonna pay for their wars, if we all get together and cut their funds."
Trivia
- This song was recorded in 2004 and released on Soul Time a UK release of non-album tracks.
- Sharon Jones was a former corrections officer before joining the band in her 40's. She died from complications from pancreatic cancer in 2016.
- The bands original genesis started with core members making James Brown inspired instrumentals.
- While undergoing chemo Sharon suffered a stroke while watching the 2016 presidential electios and blamed it on news that Trump won.
THE HOT TAKES
Luke Tatum
Well, it's Tax Day. Can you believe that some businesses have the sheer audacity to send out emails or signs that say "Happy Tax Day!" The one that comes to mind is Sonic, which tends to use this as a way to push 99 cent corn dogs. It's one of the only things that bothers me more than "Back to School Season." We are told that we are taxed because it is necessary to provide for things of critical importance, that "could not be provided by the market." This is the laziest argumentation you are likely to find anywhere, and yet it is as pervasive as the human race. You encounter this everywhere. Here's a favorite quote of mine, from the great Tom Woods, regarding the absurd notion that government and taxes are necessary to build roads: ""Who will build the roads?" is the question that belongs at the top of every libertarian drinking game. If we didn't have state coercion, the argument runs, there would be no roads. There'd be a Sears store over there, and your house over here, and everyone involved woudl just be standing there scratching their heads." Applied more broadly, why is any other subject any less ridiculous? People need to resolve property disputes. Why does it follow that a monopoly on violence and theft is required to do this? People want to be protected. Where is the coercion required? The United States has no business doing any of these things. If there is demand, then it is a truism that a supply will be provided by profit-seeking entrepreneurs. If there is no demand, we're better off without it in the first place. Want to solve some of these problems? "Stop paying taxes y'all."
Sherry Voluntary
Firstly, this is just a solid funk song, and y’all know I love the funk. The question that this song poses is one that I think many of us have considered so many times. What if most people just decided not to comply anymore? They can’t throw us all in the rape cages, right? There is a natural collective that is formed by the mass predation of The State. We, the quarry, have a shared incentive to cooperate to end the theft, impoverishment, resentment, and outright murder that is committed in the name of the common good. The sad fact is, they need our collaboration in order to victimize us. This is where agorism comes in. Agorism is really the best way to fight The State without bloodshed. It removes from them the the finances to fund all of their schemes and wars. I am personally trying to move my life more and more in the direction of becoming an agorist, and I would encourage you all to do the same.
Nicky P
I chose this song specifically for today because I think it's a disconnect people often make. Now you and I know that they'll steal the money from us in the form of inflation through printing and borrowing. That's what I'd tell Sharon anyway. This point aside it's worth reminding ourselves that we exist as tax cattle to fund their wars. When we file our taxes we voluntarily give them a stipend to continue murdering in our name. I'm not telling you to go out there and get the IRS sicked on your ass. They have a SWAT team after all and who knows what kinda hell they could bring down in the name of the greater good. But, lets not pretend that this is anything other than what it is. The military is held like a gun to your head in an effort to force you to keep paying your tithe so they can continue manufacturing death in your name to justify amplifying action one, rinse, repeat ad nauseum.