Yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden stated publicly again that he wants violent video games to be taxed and sees “no legal reason” why we should not move forward with a new tax. The story was telling in two respects. First, there is no evidence that such games produce the type of attacks seen at the Boston bombing and school shootings. Yet, this was the first thing that various politicians grabbed to show a response to the killings — besides of course reducing our civil liberties further. Second, Biden again seems intent on fulfilling the stereotype of a liberal politician where the answer to every problem is a tax. There is no discussion of how such a tax would accomplish any economic or public policy objective beyond moving money from people Biden disfavors to people he favors.
Experts are divided on the impact of violent video games with some finding no real longterm impacts and others finding a contributing factor in violence or delinquency. Putting aside this debate, there is no discussion of why a tax would serve any purpose beyond driving up costs and of course producing more revenue for the government.
As many on this blog know, I am fairly hostile to the tax-first approach to public policy and the use of high taxes to address worsening economic situations in countries like France. This is an example of how reflexive the call for taxes is from politicians like Biden. Biden announced that he would like to tax the game and give the money “help victims and their families.” It is an all-too-common approach to tax politics. Find an unpopular industry, tax it, and then give the money to a more popular group. It appears the later group this term is a generally defined group of “victims” — not of video games but crime. It is not clear how such money will be awarded to victims or whether it would go to government offices that support victims.
When he was later asked if he could point to any study showing the effect of violent games on behavior or the effect of the tax on game playing, Biden simply said that the government would study the problem.
While I disagree equally with the no tax mentality of people on the other side of the political debate, I am constantly amazed by how taxes seem the first reaction of politicians like Biden. In this case, the tax seems to come first and the rationale will be supplied later. We simply tax them all and let God sort them out.
Source: Forbes
We incentivize things we supposedly like and we tax those we don’t. We often do this through the tax system. “Vice” taxes are nothing new. I just wish he would support making GE pay taxes as well as the many allegedly American corporations who off shore their profits but are ever so happy to take money from the government.
I am pretty sure these violent games have an impact on our culture and on those who play them. Those experts who say they don’t are often the same people who said that tobacco advertisements did not sell cigarettes.
Gene
i googled pictures of snakes eating bacon playing chess but apparently that’s a trifecta of aggression
. http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/JayceWagner/20130308/188166/
Is it possible for someone else to be thought of as a presidential candidate besides someone in the usual group of 10 individuals?
I thought we decided 223 years ago to do away with the nobility.
SwM,
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy … the world awaits her!
Blouise, My daughter loves him, too. Headed to Austin tomorrow for the graduation. Back on Sunday night.
lotta,
Do you watch Parks and Recreation with Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope? Leslie Knope loooves Joe Biden and they even got him to do a cameo for the show … enjoy:
SWM: “nick, Blouise is already a charter member.”
**
Hot dog! We’re on our way to a movement!
Gene: “I’d have made a more comprehensive list, but I was so worried about my pictures of chess playing snakes eating bacon. Do you know how hard those are to find?”
I figured it was a exercise in iron will on your part because knowing your attention to detail you could still be making that list, in detail and specificity, if you wanted to! 🙂 But yes, I do know how rare such pictures are because I have been looking for one (for you) and can’t find any. Darn! Well, LOL, my heart is in the right place, I would find one for you if I could… 🙂
It can’t be those hair plugs? Must be those pearly chicklets. The story line of the Amy Poehler character in Parks and Rec being in love w/ Biden is great.
Yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden stated publicly again that he wants violent video games to be taxed and sees “no legal reason” why we should not move forward with a new tax.
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Why are most corporations incorporated in Delaware?
nick, Blouise is already a charter member. Women like him. 😉
Gene:
Yes, it could be more, but I felt 75% gave it sort of a French flavour.
vers le bas avec la monarchie
lotta, Maybe you and SWM can form the Joe Biden Fan Club here. He is a buffoon by any objective standard. But, to each their own.
“You know what causes violence, Joe? Living in an unjust society where the government caters to war criminals and corporations – giving white collar criminals tax money as bonuses for their sociopathic behavior while sending kids to jail for smoking a joint and not bothering anyone but the pizza delivery guy. Why don’t you do something about that first?” – Gene
Well said.
LK,
I’d have made a more comprehensive list, but I was so worried about my pictures of chess playing snakes eating bacon. Do you know how hard those are to find? 😉
Couple of things here just playing off the comments: Gene’s right ‘cept he left out grinding poverty and a steady erosion of the concept that the individual can control ones own outcome within the framework of a stable and fair set of social parameters/rules. Between the conically impoverished and the embattled working class the majority of our citizens are on the edge. Madness as well as taking rash actions is a small step beyond that.
Nick, Joe a buffoon? He speaks in generally coherent sentences and really, have you forgotten ol’ “fool me once, uh, uh,…”. We all know what a buffoon looks like, Joe ain’t one.
Bruce, “immune” is probably too strong of a word but studies have shown that being exposed to images of violence in all media desensitizes one to violence. I do wonder how many of our drone operators sitting in their darkened rooms, eyes on their console, were FPS fans when they were younger. I don’t think it’s a reason for a sin tax on games though.
Christine, yea, Tipper and Phyllis S. were a pox, she worried me a lot regarding a Gore presidency. A write-in was a possibility for me that year due to her being ‘on the ticket’. Evil, fundi-leaning b…..s, both of them. Schlaffly’s kids make god beer though but I won’t buy it- I carry blood grudges. 🙂
In general I think this proposal is a sign of the times. The government is going to look at raising every dime it can since jobs/stimulus are effectively off the table even if they have to pull new taxes out of their hat. I blame the Republicans. If you’ve read anything over the last 5 years you know why. I’ll just leave it at that inauguration night meeting…
Funny how a guy who has vigorously supported the war on drugs – which has caused so much violence all over the world – and who supported the invasion of Iraq is concerned by the violence “caused” by video games.
Darren,
I like your thinking there, but I think maybe that percentage is a bit low.
Theft
Yes, that is what it boils down to.
And kissing babies and writing notes to children is not going to change that.
So what becomes of taxation when the definition is so loosely construed? Consuming meat is a sin for taxation purposes?
How about reversing the situation: An income tax of 75% on politicians because their position tends to lead to corruption and violent acts against civilians living in other countries.”