backwardsflow:

smarter-than-the-republicans:

butmymomsaysimcool1:

nu11-pointer:

smarter-than-the-republicans:

theconcealedweapon:

We should have universal healthcare and universal basic income. We can fund it by taxing rich people.

But taxation is theft, you say? Fine. Make it voluntary. Businesses can opt out of paying taxes. If they don’t want government involved in their business, then government won’t be involved.

But that means no government involvement at all, even when it benefits them. That means no patents, trademarks, or copyrights, since those wouldn’t exist without government. They want a free market? Then they can compete with someone else stealing their customers by selling their products at a lower price.

If a company loses money, they’ll foot the bill for once and not us. No government bailouts when they intentionally make dumbass business decisions.

They want government subsidies for not paying their workers enough? Too fucking bad, Wal-Mart, you’re not getting special treatment for being shitty employers anymore.

Oil/gas/coal companies want to keep people from using their own solar panels and wind generators? Go to hell, you don’t get to write the laws anymore.

Also no taxes, no special labels. So if you want to label your product “made in America”, but don’t pay your taxes, too bad. Want to use government certifications? You better pay those taxes. FDA approval? Better be paying those taxes. Run out of money? Too bad you didn’t pay your taxes, cause you can’t file for bankruptcy.

No no no, it’s not just that

You wanna deliver your goods? Tax money paved those roads. You want electricity? Too bad, govt-run power grid.

Holy shit, this is getting better each time.

This is why the whole ‘taxation is theft’ idea doesn’t work. At their core, businesses exist to make money. Money that is created and given value by the government. If your business doesn’t want to pay taxes to ensure the continued operation of the government, then what right does it have to use its currency? Your money has no value outside of the value assigned to it by the government, so you can’t lay claim to any value you supposedly have before paying your dues to the organization that gives your paper slips meaning.

itsallavengers:

Peter Parker being utterly terrified of small spaces after what happened in Homecoming, but he never says it to any of the Avengers because he can’t have weaknesses, he can’t be afraid of anything, none of them are- they’re only going to be reminded of how childish he is if he admits something like that. 

Except one night they’re all eating take-out in the compound, and for the life of him Peter can’t remember how they managed to get onto the topic, but they start talking about fears. At first, Peter just shakes his head, denies it, he’s Spiderman, he’s not afraid of anything– but then he hears Steve speak, really quietly, and admit that he can’t stand being in water. Not after the plane crash. 

And then Thor speaks up. He tells them all that he’s absolutely terrified of being alone. He can’t stand it, and sometimes it takes as little as a day of solitude before he has to find someone, anyone to talk to, or he feels like he can’t breathe.

Then Natasha tells everyone she’s afraid of dogs, her face blank, her fists slightly clenched, and she doesn’t explain any further, and no one asks. Clint tells them all he has a horrible fear of needles. Every time he needs an injection, he vomits. Bruce? Bruce has panic attacks in large crowds. He tells them all he has to skip out on charity galas and parties because he’s so terrified, sometimes.

Then Peter looks at Tony, and expects nothing, because really, it’s Iron Man. He’s been through everything, and he doesn’t even bat an eye at any of it. He’s the one Peter could never have finding out about his own weakness. Because Tony trusts him, Tony respects him, and if he knew Peter was so afraid of something so trivial, he’d surely-

“I’m scared of the dark,” Tony shrugs, looking down, and Peter just… stops.

The dark. Something as simple as the dark, and Tony is… Tony is afraid of the dark. 

Iron Man is afraid of the dark.

Tony raises an eyebrow at Peter, and he realizes he’s staring. He looks down quickly, feeling like his heart is about to beat out of his ribcage. 

That’s the day that he discovers something very, very important.

He can be scared, and still be a hero.