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When Politicians Tax Violent Video Games

Posted by samzenpus on from the hands-in-the-cookie-jar dept.

talien79 writes "Taxing video games has a storied history in state legislatures. The reality is that video games, violent or otherwise, simply make too much money to be stopped. But taxing them is a viable compromise, a 'sin tax' of sorts similar to that levied on cigarettes. This article reviews the time-honored tactic of politicians pandering to their base: taxing violent video games."

11 of 315 comments (clear)

  1. but but but, it's for a good cause!! by kcornia · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm sure ALL the tax revenue will go towards educating kids on the dangers of violent video games and/or to the victims or violent video game inspired violence, right?

    RIGHT?

    1. Re:but but but, it's for a good cause!! by linhares · · Score: 3, Funny

      I'm sure ALL the tax revenue will go towards educating kids on the dangers of violent video games and/or to the victims or violent video game inspired violence, right?

      No, sir, you see, it's on my contract here. The money comes to me.

      Yours Truly,

      --Dr. A. Linhares, Senior Vice President, AIG.

    2. Re:but but but, it's for a good cause!! by rackserverdeals · · Score: 5, Funny

      Actually, that's exactly what's going to happen.

      They plan on showing them computer simulations of violent acts to illustrate how bad violence is.

      I've seen the prototype of the simulation. It's pretty neat. It's from a first person perspective of someone running around killing people and being shot at. And it progresses. First you get to see what the horrors are of killing people with a pistol. Then you pick up a shot gun and see how horrible it is. Then you pick up a machine gun and see that atrocity.

      There's even a little number at the top that keeps count of how much you've learned.

      --
      Dual Opteron < $600
    3. Re:but but but, it's for a good cause!! by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 5, Funny

      So next time I pick up a hooker, it'll be OK if I beat her on top of screwing her, as long as I give her an extra $40 or so?

      I thought the lesson of video games was that if you beat up the hooker, you got your $40 *back*.

  2. Re:This is how government controls us. by FooAtWFU · · Score: 4, Funny

    First they came for the AIG executive bonuses, but I did not speak up, because the AIG executives were a bunch of jerks...

    --
    The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
  3. Re:Tax my Toilet by ArcherB · · Score: 4, Funny

    When will they eventually get to the point of taxing what comes out of my butt?

    Unless you make more than $250,000, you have nothing to worry about. Obama said so:

    "Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes."

    Maybe you'll have to take your pay stub into the store to prove that you make less than a quarter mill' a year. I'm still waiting for my cigarette tax refund paper work to come in the mail I paid the extra $1.00 tax recently and I don't make more than $250,000/yr.

    --
    There is no "I disagree" mod for a reason. Flamebait, Troll, and Overrated are not substitutes.
  4. Re:stupid by Red+Flayer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why not tax for having ides, next?

    Uh-oh, March is gonna be screwed come tax time.

    --
    "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  5. Ahem... by momerath2003 · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is a perfect example of a sin tax error.

    Thank you, I'll be here all night.

    --
    I had but a simple dream, to destroy all humans.
  6. Re:Tax my Toilet by mu11ing1t0ver · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is an example of the fallacy that consuming energy requires one to expel carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. For counterexample, check out the promising new 'photosynthesis' technology that the plant world has been working on.

  7. Re:Tax my Toilet by CrashPoint · · Score: 4, Funny

    Which part of "...not any of your taxes" did you not understand?

    We've heard that before, though, haven't we?

  8. Re:stupid by toriver · · Score: 3, Funny

    No, we beware those.