The Allure of Investing
Simply put, most love investing and hate paying taxes. People invest in something they want to be a part of, as they envision a future benefit (e.g. more money). Taxes do not have the same psychological allure as an investment; taxes lack excitement. So much in fact, that there are entire industries built around reducing one’s tax “bill.” So let us ask, why does everyone try to avoid paying for public services from which they benefit? Whether it is to secure the assets of the rich or help the poor to eat, public services funded by taxes accrue wealth for everyone, just as investing in a retirement fund. So why do we hate paying taxes even though the services produced from these funds benefit us? There are a variety of answers, but one of the primary reasons is that there is no explicit record of ownership and benefit. Stated differently, taxes have a “marketing problem.” Human beings need tangible proof of what is theirs. Under the Nation-state regime, citizens do not “own” a portion of the military which ensures their assets are safe. Nobody explicitly owns a portion of the roads on which their vehicles commute.
It is human nature to favor one’s personal belongings and wealth over the public pot of resources. We are selfish creatures and need an artifact to remind us of what is ours. So how do we solve this dilemma? Ownership for everyone; an explicit record of ownership for all public assets. An illustrative example is below:
