It's been a long time. I've been away.

But el Governmento has not been idle.

We have loads of wonderful new laws and taxes to amuse ourselves with!

I think we really don't pay enough tax! Tax should be like medieval blood-letting. It should really hurt. You should know it's good for you because it seems wrong.

A bit like 'healthy' foods -- that taste disgusting, but you know it makes sense.

Tax is supposed to be about the 'redistribution of wealth', and laws are supposed to help us live in a civilised society.

Neither of the above do we really achieve. But what we end up with is something that means that we use laws to enforce the payment of our taxes, and taxes to enforce laws that we don't really need / want / understand (delete as appropriate).

There is this heroic assumption we make that creating laws and taxes will make the world a better place.

Sometimes the opposite is achieved.

ASBOS are seen as a badge of honour, some folk actively seek to collect them.

Creating new taxes simply means that people will find ways to avoid them.

According to the government,' TAX DOESN'T HAVE TO BE TAXING '.

Yet it is.