The International Forecaster | How To Re Brand The IRS International Forecaster Weekly

James Corbett | April 20, 2016

As you may have noticed the #TaxationIsTheft meme has been making the rounds on the internet for the last few weeks. Well it officially went viral this week, with the hashtag trending on Twitter on #TaxationIsTheft day, aka April 18th.

Bloomberg.com

The idea is simple enough to understand, and has been articulated many times before. Take Lysander Spooner's 19th century formulation of the idea:

"The fact is that the government, like a highwayman, says to a man: Your money, or your life. And many, if not most, taxes are paid under the compulsion of that threat."

Or Judge Napolitano's 21st century formulation: "Just as you lack the moral and legal ability to take my property, you cannot authorize the government to do so."

The idea, as I say, is simple, but its implications are huge. If the tax cattle begin to understand the nature of the system that has ensnared them, then what will happen if they refuse to comply? Unsurprisingly, this worries the tax-collecting masters of the national plantation enormously.

Not to fear, though! Bloomberg is here to save the day in what can only be described as the most utterly transparent display of government propaganda in the MSM this week (and that's saying something).

Bloomberg.com posted an article entitled "Death and Taxes" on April 15th that begins with the understatement of the century: "It's hard to think of a government agency as disliked as the IRS." From there this business "news" outlet then sets itself the bizarre challenge of trying to improve that image and actually hires three design firms to rebrand the agency.

The results have to be seen to be believed. One design firm decided to run with the idea that tax dollars are "Fueling America," with bright, rainbow colored pop art collages illustrating how your IRS tribute is "Fueling America's Space Program" or "Fueling Education in America." One wonders what missile-laden F-16s streaking out of a pink ice cream cone as sunglass wearing children look on has to do with "education in America." One also wonders where the "Fueling Illegal Wars of Aggression Overseas" or "Fueling NSA Eavesdropping" or "Fueling 9/11-style False Flags" collages are.

Another firm suggested a play on the iconic "I heart NYC" logo with an "I heart IRS" variant that one could imagine would be proudly adopted, displayed and worn by exactly no one.

The third firm suggested re-thinking how taxes can be paid in the 21st century, mocking up a user-friendly app that good taxpaying citizens can use to find out exactly how much they owe to their governmental masters and allowing them to transfer that sum instantly over their NSA-surveilled smartphone. (Can you smell the freedom yet, America?)

In the spirit of fun and whimsy in which these ideas were apparently offered, allow me to present my own humble suggestions for an IRS rebrand:

How about a picture of a typical American workplace with good worker zombies shuffling in for another day of labour underneath a giant arch that reads: Taxation Macht Frei!

Or the subtle approach: A man or woman working in their office with a long, cartoonish IRS agent's hand dipping into their back pocket. "So gentle you'll hardly notice anything's missing!"

Or if that fails, maybe the IRS can just own their tyranny. Imagine a PR campaign centered around the tagline: Theft Is Good!

Gordon Gekko would be proud.