Taxes
What's the Difference between Donating to the State (Government) and Donating to Charity?
Apparently, some of the richest in society want to pay more tax, at least that's what they sometimes say. 'Tax us more! Tax us more!' they cry. But it's kind-a weird.
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It's kind-a weird because it's perfectly possible to make voluntary donations to the State (don't try to deliberately overpay your tax demand; the system's not set up for that, and it might raise suspicions that your accounting is in general disorder). And it's simple and quick to do so. All you have to do is visit this Government web page and follow the instructions. Only the Government has discretion over how they spend your donation; however, you do have the option to have it used to help pay down the national debt.
Yet some commentators pooh-pooh the idea, as if it's an argument. "People aren't going to do that," they say. But it would only be an argument if the suggestion were that people be made to make voluntary donations, which is a contradiction in terms, or that they should. Rather, it's the suggestion that you can. Voluntary donations are no substitute for mandatory payments, ie tax, that's true; by definition, you can't rely on the whims of a supposed benefactoriat to finance the provision, sustenance, improvement and expansion of public services.
But, to reiterate, that's not what voluntary donating is all about. It's about providing some extra money for one-off spending, such as capital expenditure (capex).
Opposition to making voluntary donations sometimes, oddly, comes from those claiming to be in favour of socio-economic justice; politically, the left. Presumably, they're opposed to the existence of charities and charitable giving. After all, charities and charitable giving exist to help those less fortunate in society, similarly, the State and taxes, which provisions, sustains, improves and expands things of the common good.
Therefore, if you support charities and charitable giving, why not donate to the State? Surely, it cannot be that these progressives are simply not wanting to dip their hands into their pockets, right? So, the question is: Between donating to charity and donating to the State,