[net.taxes] Nearly all of us are guilty

tom (03/30/83)

Nearly all of us are guilty:

I. Article 6 of the Constitution:
   This constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in
pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the
authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the
judges in every state shall be bound thereby, any thing in the constitution or
laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding.

II. The United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted Resolution 1(95)
on Dec. 11, 1946, affirming the "principles of international law recognized
by the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal and the Judgement of the Tribunal."

III. Nuremberg Principle 2:
   The fact that domestic law does not punish an act which is an international
crime does not free the perpetrator of such crime from responsibility under
international law.

IV. Nuremberg Principle 6:
   The crimes hereafter set out are punishable as crimes under international
law:
   a. Crimes against Peace:
   (1) Planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression, or
a war in violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances;
   (2) Participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of
any of the acts mentioned under (1).
   b. War Crimes:  namely, violations of the laws or customs of war.  Such
violations shall include, but not be limited to, murder, ill-treatment or
deportation to salve labour or for any other purpose of civilian population
of or in occupied territory, murder or ill-treatment of prisoners of war or
persons on the seas, killing of hostages, plunder of public or private property,
wanton destruction of cities, towns or villages, or devastation not justified
by military necessity.
   c. Crimes against Humanity:  namely, murder, extermination, enslavement,
deportation and other inhuman acts done against a civilian population, or
persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds, when such acts are
done or such persecutions are carried on in execution of or in connection
with any crime against peace or any war crime.

V. Nuremberg Principle 7:
   Complicity in the commission of a crime against peace, a war crime or a
crime against humanity, as set forth in Principle VI, is a crime under
international law.

VI. Nuclear bombs are designed to wantonly destroy cities and to exterminate
civilian populations.

VII. Contributing money is complicity.

VIII. Paying taxes is contributing money.

soreff (04/01/83)

Obviously the Nuremberg principles #6 and #7 must fall into the
category of law known as "dead letter laws", given how effectively
they have restrained the actions of the USSR and USA.  Come to
think of it, international law didn't even restrain Argentina in
the Falklands.  I think a certain amount of cynicism about the
efficacy of international law is warranted.
	-Jeffrey Soreff (hplabs!hplabsb!soreff)
P.S. This is, of course, my personal view and in no way reflects
Hewlett-Packard's policies, views etc.

kar (04/02/83)

About the note that, in effect, said that paying taxes was a crime under inter-
national law and customs of war:

	I don't want to refute your logic, but would like to know when you plan
to stop paying your taxes.  The trial ought to be interesting.


(PS:  What a quaint phrase, "customs of war" )

dee (04/03/83)

Since it is my understanding that the payment of taxes is under
duress (threat of punishment) the original logic fails completely.
			Donald Eastlake (dee@cca-unix, decvax!cca!dee)