Politicians Propose "Man Tax"

Politicians Propose "Man Tax"

A "man tax" should be imposed on all men, to cover the cost to society of
violent acts committed by a few men against women.

That's the novel proposal of a group of Swedish members of parliament.

"It must be obvious to all of us that society has a huge problem with male
violence against women and that has a cost," announced Gudrun Schyman, Left
Party deputy and former party leader, last week. "We must have a discussion
where men understand they as a group have a responsibility."

The text of the proposal reads, in part:

"When the costs of this aspect of socially destructive male behavior are
added up, it becomes clear how much money men's violence costs society --
money which could be used to increase women's income, for healthcare,
better working environments, and so on. It's then only natural to ask how
men collectively should take economic responsibility for men's violence
against women."

Six Left Party members of parliament have signed on to a motion to explore
the idea. Schyman received considerable attention in 2002 when she claimed
that discrimination against women in liberal Sweden followed "the same
pattern" as in Taliban-era Afghanistan.

Sweden is already drowning in taxes. It imposes the highest taxes in the
European Union in order to pay for its famous -- and steadily crumbling --
cradle-to-grave welfare state.

Incidentally, support for the man-tax idea is hardly limited to Sweden. Way
back in 1991, U.S. feminist June Stephenson wrote a book with the catchy
title "Men Are Not Cost-Effective," in which she argued for taxing men an
extra $100 a year, in order to cover some of the costs of the vast social
harm she alleged the male species collectively wreaks upon women. Her book
remains in print today, and presumably continues to win converts.

Indeed, given the U.S.'s long history of eagerly embracing the looniest
kinds of coercive social reforms, the "man tax" may ultimately find more
fertile soil here than Sweden.

Sources:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=6418346
http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=468&date=20041005
http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20040425-102740-9436r.htm


--
DISOBEDIENCE, n. The silver lining to the cloud of servitude.

- Ambrose Bierce

Politicians Propose "Man Tax"

A "man tax" should be imposed on all men, to cover the cost to society of
violent acts committed by a few men against women.

That's the novel proposal of a group of Swedish members of parliament.

"It must be obvious to all of us that society has a huge problem with male
violence against women and that has a cost," announced Gudrun Schyman, Left
Party deputy and former party leader, last week. "We must have a discussion
where men understand they as a group have a responsibility."

The text of the proposal reads, in part:

"When the costs of this aspect of socially destructive male behavior are
added up, it becomes clear how much money men's violence costs society --
money which could be used to increase women's income, for healthcare,
better working environments, and so on. It's then only natural to ask how
men collectively should take economic responsibility for men's violence
against women."

Six Left Party members of parliament have signed on to a motion to explore
the idea. Schyman received considerable attention in 2002 when she claimed
that discrimination against women in liberal Sweden followed "the same
pattern" as in Taliban-era Afghanistan.

Sweden is already drowning in taxes. It imposes the highest taxes in the
European Union in order to pay for its famous -- and steadily crumbling --
cradle-to-grave welfare state.

Incidentally, support for the man-tax idea is hardly limited to Sweden. Way
back in 1991, U.S. feminist June Stephenson wrote a book with the catchy
title "Men Are Not Cost-Effective," in which she argued for taxing men an
extra $100 a year, in order to cover some of the costs of the vast social
harm she alleged the male species collectively wreaks upon women. Her book
remains in print today, and presumably continues to win converts.

Indeed, given the U.S.'s long history of eagerly embracing the looniest
kinds of coercive social reforms, the "man tax" may ultimately find more
fertile soil here than Sweden.

Sources:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=6418346
http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=468&date=20041005
http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20040425-102740-9436r.htm


--
DISOBEDIENCE, n. The silver lining to the cloud of servitude.

- Ambrose Bierce