Recent Podcast Episodes

Recorded 10/15/2004 at Radical Scholarship: The Guerrilla Movement for Liberty.

Recorded 10/16/2004 at Radical Scholarship: The Guerrilla Movement for Liberty.

Recorded 10/16/2004 at Radical Scholarship: The Guerrilla Movement for Liberty.  

Recorded 10/15/2004 at Radical Scholarship: The Guerrilla Movement for Liberty.  

Recorded 10/15/2004 at Radical Scholarship: The Guerrilla Movement for Liberty.

Recorded 10/15/2004 at Radical Scholarship: The Guerrilla Movement for Liberty.  

Recorded 10/15/2004 at Radical Scholarship: The Guerrilla Movement for Liberty.  

Recorded 10/16/2004 at Radical Scholarship: The Guerrilla Movement for Liberty.

Recorded 10/15/2004 at Radical Scholarship: The Guerrilla Movement for Liberty.  

Recorded 10/15/2004 at Radical Scholarship: The Guerrilla Movement for Liberty.  

Presented on 29 September 2004 at the Library of the Metropolitan Club, New York, New York. Sponsored by Mr. Kenneth M. Garschina.

Presented on 29 September 2004 at the Library of the Metropolitan Club, New York, New York. Sponsored by Mr. Kenneth M. Garschina.

Charles Adams, the tax writer, tells young people to get a liberal education and go with the flow. He took tax law and he taught history. He saw that there was a tax story behind every event. Taxes, not slavery, caused the Civil War.Taxes began in Sumer. “Taxes are the fuel that make civilizations run,” but how we tax and spend determines to a large extent whether we are prosperous or poor, free or enslaved, and most importantly, good or evil. Taxes are forced exaction.

In this lecture Adams talks about the Enlightenment which was the philosophy of the eighteenth century. It was the high water mark of man’s thinking on taxes. They were wise; we’re not. These thinkers used the past as a guide.

Exploitative behavior of the state is studied. Brainwashing was required to build states up. Unlike productive activities via division of labor, parasitic activities like cannibalism, slavery, fraud and robbery did not lead to social cooperation.

Lady Godiva’s naked ride on her horse was a protest over taxes.  Ship money for war ships was collected in Britain even though there was then no war.

Ideological factors, especially comparative religions, are considered. Until 1500, China was the most developed region on the globe. Confucianism has no promise of an afterlife. There are no miracles for them. They are realistic and rational. Confucius is not a god or prophet. He is revered as a great teacher. His teachings are compatible with capitalism.

The Laffer Curve from the 1920s reflects the truism that a 77 percent tax rate produces the same amount of revenue as a 7 percent tax rate. Once the tax rate exceeds twenty-five percent, less will be collected.

The institution of the State is not normal or natural. We will pay for making this error. There are not different and unequal laws applying to masters and individuals. Once you accept, incorrectly, unilateral taxation and ultimate jurisdiction in the hands of the state you are stuck.

Adams begins this session with facts about taxation being the basis of the Civil War, not slavery. If the British had not taxed the colonies, the colonies would have remained with Britain and slavery would have been ended when Britain ended it. The thousand year history of the Romans covered everything about taxes.