Some Aspects of the Role of the State in Work, Life & Living

Greetings My Friends,
Yesterday, I spent some time looking at the work of the state in serving the essential needs of citizens and guests for safety and security. Obviously the role of the state has many other critical aspects, another of which is the organization and management of the resources of the people and the land. A seemingly noble endeavor, but when looked at in the context of imperial aggression and dominance, colonialism and neo-colonialism, the execution of this duty has sinister and devastating results on the subject peoples and the land. The imposition of taxes by colonial oppressors/invaders was intended to generate a dependable stream of revenue for the state and relatedly, control and define the economic behavior and priorities of the colonial subject.
From the book, "Land, Degradation and Society by Piers M. Blaike, Harold Brookfield" comes the following observations. Taxes ".......provided the state with an income independent of the fluctuations in crop yields and prices". Pg. 104
"One instrument abolished under later colonialism, this being slavery, once more effective methods had (to be) devised for the extraction of labor and produce" Pg 105
In the culture of the contemporary state, the collection of taxes has become a "sacred" duty.Interestingly, the supposedly independent states continue to use elements of this system, with fierce devotion.
Imperial campaigners in Africa, Asia and other conquered lands, made clear their intention as mentioned before, the interests, concerns and needs of the native, or other oppressed communities were not of significance to the rulers. This equation of wage labor, outside of the home or community, with the expression of social responsibility and accountability, had to be forcefully branded into the consciousness and behavior of the people. In the book "Story of the Congo Free State" pg 582, Mr Chamberlin justifies the principle of taxing the "natives". That".....the progress of the native in civilization will not be secured until he has been convinced of the necessity and dignity of labor". Not an absolute as slavery blatantly showed.
For these people , the fruits of their labor,generally did not benefit or otherwise improve their life. The essential goal of the "head tax and the hut tax", was therefore to secure that labor, by demanding taxes, that could only be paid, with monies earned by working for the entity , which had the capital, accumulated from the very taxes and productivity of the people who had heads and lived in huts. The devastation of native culture and lands in pursuit of imperialism and colonialism has often been undervalued,as has been the lethal instruments of commercialization and the financial/economic systems.
The neo-colonial state dedicates vital resources to the collection/retrieval of taxes and the pursuit of goals that are functionally similar to their historic oppressors and strip the working people of their humanity.
Again insight to the arrogant, racist views of the colonial oppressors, is found on pg. 581 of The Congo Free State, "It has been said that if Africa is ever to be redeemed from barbarism, it must be by getting the Negro to understand the meaning of work by the obligation of paying taxes"
The point we are making here is that Africans, have always understood appreciated and celebrated work in their own lives, evident in the massive contributions to humanity, and that these pronouncements were shameful attempts to cover or justify the shameful enterprise of imperial domination or so called manifest destiny. The work that we are seeking to honor, to appreciate, is that which contributes to the nourishment and enrichment of our lives and humanity in general and not just to the rulers of the empire.
Obviously, this is not exhaustive study of the problems with the tax structure and system, but I pause for today and reflect on the implications and relevance of this discussion to contemporary human economy.