When Politicians Tax Violent Video Games

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."

Comments

This is how government controls us.

[tmosley]

They steal more from those they don't like than those they do. God help you if they don't like you.

Movies?

[maxter3185]

Ok, fine, do it, but what about violent movies and TV shows?

Violent games are never good

[MBCook]

Good for them. It's not like violent games ever show justified violence, or even semi-realistic portrayals of current foreign combat. It's not like there is ever a point of the violence.

Violence is always bad. It's never a good way to put an end to problems people may face.

Constitutional?

[Hatta]

Would the Supreme Court find a content based tax constitutional? I can see how states would get away taxing all video games, but taxing one type of video game based on its content seems like a first amendment issue. Are there other types of media that get this treatment?

Re:Constitutional?

[mea37]

Well, tax laws can apparently be used to punish you for something you did before the law was passed (see AIG bonuses), so why would the Constitution apply in this case?

Re:Constitutional?

[lgw]

Or to put it a different way: since the Congress is now passing blantenly unconstitutional bills of attainder (see AIG bonuses), are there any cases in which the Constitution still applies?

Re:but but but, it's for a good cause!!

[Red Flayer]

Who cares where the tax revenues go. It all goes into the general treasury anyway. People who believe in earmarked revenues let themselves be misled. Ever wonder why earmarked revenues rarely result in higher spending on the earmarks' targets? Spending from the general treasury is reduced to make up for the earmarked spending.

My biggest problem with this has nothing to do with where the money is spent. It's with the concept that violence is OK, as long as you're willing to pay extra for it. 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? Or If I send an extra $40 to the government as a "sin tax"?

If you take the ideas of these brain-dead lawmakers and their brain-dead constituents, this is the logical conclusion.

Also, while we're at it, let's tax movie tickets on a sliding scale based on their rating. G? Pay the sales tax. PG? Pay 2 x sales tax. PG-13? 3 x sales tax. Etc.

Re:but but but, it's for a good cause!!

[slummy]

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?

You might want to OK the beating with him/her first. Otherwise her pimp Sugar might get wind of it and give you a really bad day.

Re:Tax my Toilet

[GNUbuntu]

I'm pretty sure anyone except for people who are trying to nitpick non-issues knew that Obama was only talking about Federal taxes. There are plenty of good reasons to bash Obama, this one is just flat out stupid.

Re:but but but, it's for a good cause!!

[thetoadwarrior]

It'll go towards paying the debt for the violence in Iraq.

Re:Tax my Toilet

[mu11ing1t0ver]

The difference is that there's piles of peer-reviewed research showing that smoking will definitely kill you. Video games, not so much.

Re:but but but, it's for a good cause!!

[LWATCDR]

Okay I am on the opposite side of most people when it comes to video games. I have no problem with mandatory age restrictions on video games. I have no issue with taxing cigs and alcohol. But I have an issue with extra tax on video games. Yes I see how Left4Dead would be unhealthy for an 8 year old to play but for a normal adult it is just fine. Violent video games are no worse than violent movies or books.
If you want to tax a game how about golf? Golf Courses do a huge amount of damage to the environment. How about a $5 a round tax on golf and a $1.00 a ball tax on golf balls.
Of course who will pay the sin tax on game America's Army?

Cigarette Tax eh?

[Chas]

So when you buy that $7.00 pack of cigs, you know that $6.00 of it is taxes right?

So, we can look forward to paying $350 for a boxed title that goes for $50 now?

Fuck that noise.

Re:Tax my Toilet

[brkello]

You are retarded. It would be like if we were playing WoW and I told you I would give you a flying mount. Then you get pissed off that I only gave you a flying mount in the game and not in real life. It was implicit that I was giving you a flying mount in the game, but you understood it wrong because you are stupid. You don't care that I don't have the power to produce a real flying mount. You are just going to complain how awful I am because I broke a promise in your mind when any reasonable person would be able to figure things out by context.