What if I don't want to pay for the war?

[bluestateguy]

Can I opt out? How about allowing people like me to check off a box on my tax returns specifying that my tax dollars not go to pay for the war? After all, this war is not being fought in my name or for my freedoms. I don't wish to fund it.

[yankeedem]

1. I suppose

You can just write a check to Haliburton directly, cut out the middle man you know?

[izzie]

13. That sounds good. They used to go to jail, some got so mad in the 60's

n/t

[Bush_has_Parvo]

2. Yeah! What if we marched and tried to stop this war?

Is there a way we can say to the Chimp in Chief, "Uh, thanks but no thanks. We told you this was a lousy idea, and you ignored us. So go to your rich buddies and let those oh so patriotic Americans bail your ass out!"

[Fixated]

10. .....

Kinda like people who don't support social programs shouldn't pay taxes?

[burrowowl]

3. You can

do like Joan Baez in the 60s who didn't pay the percentage of taxes for Defense (Offense) and go to jail. There is a group, I forget their name who do withhold or purposely make less so as not to pay taxes.

[laura888]

4. Thoreau refused to pay taxes during the Mexican-American War....

... because he disapproved of the war, and he was jailed. When Emerson came to visit him in jail, Emerson asked Thoreau, "What are you doing in there?" and Thoreau said "What are you doing out there?"

If one million people came together today and refused to pay taxes based on their disapproval of the war, THAT would get the government's attention. Somehow, the government's tactics have made this seem extremely daunting.

[Alex88]

8. How long was he in jail?

n\t

[laura888]

14. only one night, I believe, but then wrote "Civil Disobedience"

...an essay which affected the beliefs of Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, and later played a part in the civil rights movement in the U.S.

From Civil Disobedience: "If government, 'is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then I say, break the law. Let you life be a counter friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn.'" - Henry David Thoreau

[bitchkitty]

5. When it comes time to pay

your taxes, send them Monopoly money and explain that it is as legitimate as the "President".

Even if you enclose a check with the amount, it still makes quite a statement. It would be cool if a lot of people did this.

[Nicholas_J]

6. Stop working

Start living a conserver lifestyle in which you just make enough to meet your needs without having to report the income.

Stop BUYING. Stop putting money into an economy that is driven by the wealthy and thie personal interests. If you work, move close enough to where you work and dont use your car any more than you have to in order to avoid BUYING gas. Every dollar from every gallon goes to the guys who brought you MOAB.

There was every justification of taking out a psychoath like Hussein. As a mass murderer, he raks fairly high up their with Hitler and Stalin. But simply do not buy into thee system that requires such events to keep it going.

[Clete]

7. If you create an underground economy

with barter, no money exchanges hands, therefore for no taxes are paid. You really have to get a network going of people who are willing to play. There was a group in LA that did that. Instead of buying a service you exchanged a service. Like if you need a lawyer, you offered him something that you do like gardening. No paperwork and no money exchanges hands. Of course, you have to be an independent agent instead of holding down a job.

In the long run I think it's a bad idea because if very popular, it can bust the economy of a country. Also, you are at the mercy of the person you are trading with keeping his word. Without paperwork you have no recourse to suing him for non-payment. However, desperation sometimes calls for desperate means.

[camero]

9. What?

And pass on more debt to your children? How about impeaching Bush?

[Clete]

12. How about if we sue the Bush/Cheney for their personal wealth

and make them pay for the Iraqi war? We could charge that they illegally used the military and treasury of the United States for personal gain and without representation from the people of the US. We could get them thrown in prison for treason and break them financially at the same time.

If this were a fair world, we could. But I am afraid that will be when pigs fly.

[camero]

15. It's an idea

for after they leave office. I wonder if we could. If Clinton could be criminally prosecuted while in office, I'm sure a civil suit when Bush is out of office is not out of the question.

Of course, better minds than me would know but I think it comes down to political will. Like you said.

[Postman]

11. My co-worker was a "war-tax resister" during Nam..You could stop paying ..

the Federal Tax on your telephone bill.

[Pastiche423]

16. If you stop paying

the federal tax on your phone bill, will the phone company turn off your phone?

Anyone know?

[uptohere]

17. as long as you pay, you can make believe anything you want

but try to not pay and see how much rain falls on your parade