[fapjacks]

What on Earth are you talking about? You don't seem to have any idea what the world is like outside the West. Taxes there go to whatever nepotistic dictator or warlord is "in office", and the people widely suffer for it. Violence is a part of everyday life for a lot of people on this planet. In these places, medical care of any kind besides the local witchdoctor is a luxury completely out of the means of most people. There are even places where the Red Cross/Crescent and Doctors Without Borders will not go. Those places exist! If nothing else, this comment is exactly why Watsi is doing good in the world: Some people are ignorant of how the rest of humanity lives.

[brandelune]

Except that I don't live in the "West". And I've seen my share of the world, and done my share of NGO work at home and in the places where it's directly helpful. I also know that taxes are used especially in the West to fund the military industry that contributes to killing people all over the place. So I am well aware of the ambivalence of "taxes". But that's not what I am talking about. I am talking about "taxes" as a way to create a strong public service, not as taxes to create even stronger dictatorships. Also, places where the Red Cross/Crescent and BWB won't go are also very unlikely to be places where Watsi will go.

[d0lph]

OC is moreso talking about taxes as a concept.