> (One last question: Could you clarify "I do my own taxes?" What is it that doing taxes yourself, presumably by pen and calculator, gains over downloading a product like TaxAct and saving the PDF of the result?)
The general principle I failed to articulate is that all other things being equal, I value Self Reliance over Interdependence.
There are varying levels of interdependence though, maybe I can take a stab at ranking them from least objectionable/risky to most.
1. Dependence on friends and family: largely acceptable in my view
2. Dependence on local community, groups, churches, etc.
3. Dependence on local government, public transport, libraries, etc.
4. Dependence on state/national government
5. Dependence on local businesses
6. Dependence on remote/global businesses
You might notice that the ranking is also ordered by how accountable (at least in theory) they are to you in terms of their actions, where businesses tend to be the least accountable. You can’t vote them out or alter their bad behavior, and their interests least align with yours.
EDIT
Also, I don’t see how paying a corporation for a Spotify subscription gives me any kind of “stake in society”.
The general principle I failed to articulate is that all other things being equal, I value Self Reliance over Interdependence.
There are varying levels of interdependence though, maybe I can take a stab at ranking them from least objectionable/risky to most.
1. Dependence on friends and family: largely acceptable in my view
2. Dependence on local community, groups, churches, etc.
3. Dependence on local government, public transport, libraries, etc.
4. Dependence on state/national government
5. Dependence on local businesses
6. Dependence on remote/global businesses
You might notice that the ranking is also ordered by how accountable (at least in theory) they are to you in terms of their actions, where businesses tend to be the least accountable. You can’t vote them out or alter their bad behavior, and their interests least align with yours.
EDIT
Also, I don’t see how paying a corporation for a Spotify subscription gives me any kind of “stake in society”.