We’re joined by none other than Noah Lugeons and Heath Enwright! After becoming famous for being Scathing Atheists, the guys are now branching out to politics with their new podcast, The Skepticrat! It’s taking the iTunes by storm, peaking at #51 of all podcasts ever, in any category. Quite impressive!
Check out the show by searching for it on iTunes, or check out their Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/skepticrat
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Hey Thomas,
Can you put up Noah’s link re: lowering taxes and employment?
Cheers,
Dr. Varsovian
Excellent episode so far. I’m liking the back and forth and you’ve brought up some great questions. I have to say I’m pretty much exactly at the same position as Noah when it comes to taxes but theres a couple points I wanted to bring up.
I think the argument around taxes that justifies them by saying that if there were no society you’d be robbed rubs me the wrong way. It has some validity but I think it is a poor argument. The same argument has been used in the past to justify the placement of Natives on reservations as well as the obligation of wives to “submit” to their husbands. Arguing on the basis of a threat is just not convincing to me.
However I do agree with Noah’s conclusion and all his other explanations and I would add that I almost never hear anthropological or primatological research brought up in these discussions. To leave this all up to philosophical musings seems wrongheaded to me when we do have scientific and historical data that can give us insight into what sorts of societies make humans and animals like us happy. The fiercely egalitarian nature of hunter-gatherer societies and bonobos (and to a lesser extent chimps) inclines me to think that is the direction we should head in rather than the fiercely individualistic and divisive path we find ourselves on.