“Wealth is created when Capital is invested to give a higher return than putting it in the bank, and for that you need to take a risk.”

The Latin dictionary defines the verb, taxo, taxare, as to estimate, rate, appraise the value of anything. In modern English, this is still the meaning in the courts of law, where a taxing master is one who taxes costs by examining them and allowing or disallowing the various component items claimed. A wider use of the word has largely taken over from the strict, etymological meaning, so that taxation...

Peter Smith of the Wildwood Trust writes, “The recent political turmoil provoked by the Government proposal to sell the nation’s woodland was a travesty of public policy. Unfortunately even though the Government has now ‘U turned,’ the sad fact is it will continue to sell off public woodland, but just at a slower pace. The historical trend of the loss of public land will...

There’s no money for this And we can’t afford that We have to work harder for longer for less. Do not shirk Get some work! Don’t relax Pay your tax!

by Henry Law If “Big Society” sounds like a phrase dreamed up by a posh West End advertising agency, that is because it almost certainly is. Eventually we shall find out which one. I am all for voluntary work, community groups and the domestic economy. The value of their work probably far exceeds that of the formal economy. But the money economy was invented to facilitate the exchange...

It was reported on Thursday that Nouriel Roubini, professor of economics at New York University, said in advance of the G20 annual Davos meeting “There is complete disagreement and disarray. There is no agreement on anything. We are in a world where there is no leadership.” In other words, G20 has become G Zero. In recognition of his honesty we make the following offering: Nobody Knows It...

Romanian witches angry about having to pay up for the first time are planning to use cat excrement and dead dogs to cast spells on the president and government. Superstitions are no laughing matter in Romania — the land of the medieval ruler who inspired the “Dracula” tale — and have been part of its culture for centuries. President Traian Basescu and his aides have been...

The shut-down of Britain by the recent snow falls has got the right-wing tabloids screaming about the poor response by central and local government. These are the same newspapers that would normally be screaming for tax cuts. Here is a case of cognitive dissonance.

I raise the question because Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron has gone off to Zurich with Prince William, second in line to the throne, and the football player David Beckham, to campaign for Britain to be selected as the venue for the World Cup in 2018. I find this worrying on several counts. Why is it that British politicians want these events to be held in Britain? It is most definitely...

Petition against the sale of Britain’s forests.http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/save-our-forests#petition If Britain had substantial LVT and a Right of Public Access, there would be little need to be concerned about this. But once land is sold off, the Private Keep Out signs quickly go up and in any case forestry land is a nice tax dodge.