2012-02-27

Fight The Tax!

Tax resistant movements.

Extremists. All of them.

The analysis and history of tax, I think, is one of the least explored aspects of our civilization.

Canada had two: One in 1981 in Ottawa and another in 1994. There was one by small business owners in Montreal back in the 1990s when Mayor Jean Dore proposed a Poll tax.

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Believe it or not, a lot of my knowledge about countries and cities came from being a sports fan. I tended to read up on the history of a particular town or team. Following Serie A soccer is how I got acquainted with Italian cities which led me to investigate the country over the years.

Anyway, Cremona, home of Stradivari, also had a tax revolt:

"...Under Henry IV, Cremona refused to pay the oppressive taxes requested by the Empire and the bishop. According to a legend, the great gonfaloniere (mayor) Giovanni Baldesio of Cremona faced the emperor himself in a duel. As Henry was knocked from his horse, the city was saved the annual payment of the 3 kg. golden ball, which, for that year, was instead given to Berta, Giovanni's girlfriend, as her dowry...."

1 comment:

  1. Tax revolts are not necessarily bad things. Certainly, small groups opposing a tax can be extreme but when there is widespread opposition, along with cheating and failure in reporting, then there is a problem the authorities need to investigate. And I do not mean "investigate the people in revolt".

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