Taxes date back to Christ’s time and even before. Syrian Roman and Jewish coins were all currencies used in the Roman Empire. The Romans imposed a massive tax burden on the people with the wealthy Romans running the tax service. In Israel there were additional taxes. The Israelites paid what was known as a tax to the temple. For the faithful Jews this was a voluntary temple tax of half a shekel. Nevertheless this was not the only tax. The Romans imposed Herod a military governor as the king of Israel. Like the previous kings of Israel Herod imposed compulsory taxes which were collected to run his government and support his military.
Then there were other taxes: customs taxes, import and export taxes, toll bridges, crop taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, and special taxes when there was a war, a building project or a campaign to finance. Does not all this sound familiar with what we have today? In Malta we pay import and export taxes, food taxes, property taxes, services taxes, taxes on plastic bottles, VAT, excise duties and taxes from our income. Add to this the levies the fees and the fines and the government is practically reducing the population into a state of slavery. Like in ancient times we become the slaves of the tax or revenue collectors. This is nothing more than subtle violence.
The Romans hired what were known as the publicani plural of publicanus who were the tax collectors. These tax collectors became notorious in Roman times for their corruption. Their mission was to squeeze as much as possible from people experiencing poverty who had no recourses. Our Labour government is today doing the same. Our government has turned itself to what the people of Israel used to call Telon, a Greek word meaning to squeeze money out of a person to the end. The feeling that many Maltese are having is that we are back to the times of the ancient regime where the money was only for the rich and the taxes for the poor.
Minister Clyde Caruana announced that new AI-powered software will be deployed to catch tax cheaters adding that “some may not appreciate this but we need a culture change.” This AI-powered software will draw “data from different registries bank and bank accounts to assess the individual’s cash deposits and illiquid assets like property land vehicles and boats in a bid to help the tax department keep tabs on income and tax dues far more quickly and efficiently.” Here is what the magazine The Economist tells you about the double standards of A.I. which is sold to you as angelic but which in reality is being used for a nefarious agenda:
In its report The Times continues to tell the readers that: “The software which will cost the government €3 million is among a series of measures announced in a comprehensive strategy for tax and customs administration launched on Tuesday.”
Why are millions constantly flowing for projects that will further enslave the people? Are these millions coming from the taxpayers’ money?
This is a severe threat to our freedom. Whoever is in control of the database and its algorithm will have the ability to prevent you from doing whatever they want and don’t expect them to be friendly. This is also proof that AI is hijacking the operating system of human civilisation. Whether dangerous or not AI has fully opened Pandora’s Box and it is spreading everywhere into every nook and cranny of civilization. The Labour government will be making use of this system not for a culture change or to make sure that no one evades taxes but to increase its totalitarian control on each and every civilian: The computer program “runs daily analyses of the wealth that people and companies own and matches it with the income they declare.”
Caruana is on record stating: “I understand some people will not appreciate this effort. They will even say it’s an attack on business and that I have a grudge against business people or that I am attempting to stifle economic growth. This is absolutely not true. As finance minister I can never be against economic growth because it’s what drives employment and wealth for the people. But I am not in favour of crony capitalism in which business people feel that paying taxes is a burden instead of a duty. I want to foster an economy that awards creativity over the individual’s connections. I want a country in which perseverance prevails over established power inclusivity over exclusivity and in which we strengthen equity and reduce inequality and push people who work honestly over people who attempt to engage in illicit influence for their gain.”
This is an imposed totalitarian control. This is another reality where the benefits that Caruana is selling you would yet again support an economy that will not trickle down from top to bottom. This will stifle economic growth for honest citizens as it will continue to turn them poorer while enriching those who know how to money launder their corrupted, dirty money.
Instead what will not be stifled is the money laundering being poured into construction; off-shore properties and bank accounts; backroom shady governmental and non-governmental deals; the purchases of luxurious cars and y-plates. What will not be stifled is the filthy money that the drug dealers and pushers earn including those high-profile cabinet drug dealers.
I want to ask Caruana if this software can tax those doing crony capitalism which he says he wants to fight. Caruana may want to start with his government and PN members first.
Minister Clyde Caruana, taxation is theft. Paying taxes is violence and slavery and not a duty for the honest citizens because they are paying taxes to a corrupt government who works with criminals for financial gains; who gives many salaries to the same appointed person; who does backdoor and shady deals for personal gain. Furthermore we have ministers going round in luxurious cars with personal drivers; the Kordin Director going abroad with two drivers; ministers and the Prime Minister himself turning into spend-thrifters when it comes to going on “work holidays;” paying millions each year in the corrupt deal to Steward Health Care; the scandalous sale of the Mellieħa land; the money which politicians receive through bribery; the money which politicians receive through legal lobbying for their campaigns; the taxpayers’ money paid for the sponsorship of the female Manchester team; the non-existent capping on certain public servants’ salaries but the existent capping on pensions; the daylight robbery in pensions where only 2/3 of stamp duty are given. Where does the remaining 1/3 which is hard-earned money of the people over 40 years go? Why isn’t it all returned to the people instead of the absurd raise of pensions? Then we have the unregistered offices of the ministers with the Commissioner for Revenue; the 2 million euro that the government spent to rent a 2 million euro block in Żejtun and the 5 million spent to finish it in a shady contract and a million more “ħniżrijiet” which are being executed with the involvement and permission of the cabinet.
Since Minister Clyde Caruana claims that thanks to this software he will be collecting all the taxes and evasion is impossible will he raise the salaries of the plebs by 50%? Will he raise the tax rate of the corrupt and the filthy rich and decrease that of the same plebs? Can Minister Clyde Caruana tell us to whom the huge villas which are suddenly and quickly blooming in Wardija belong?
Before the election the government said money was not a problem. It even resorted to more corrupt practice by putting cheques under your doorstep. Every politician was spending money irresponsibly. Now suddenly the government is indirectly telling you that it needs money by selling you another solution deemed for your benefit for the problem created.
In yet another masonic Ordo Ab Chao scenario the problem created is lack of money due to corruption, a prodigal cabinet, money laundering, the lockdowns, the purchase of the Covid-19 vaccines, a liberal economy, and an array of other reasons. The reaction is the imminent collapse of the non-functional disastrous liberal economy and that Malta is in huge debt. The solution is putting you under a totalitarian communist control of taxation (and fines). Paying taxes to a government which does not lead by example in a country where the rich and the corrupt are becoming richer and more corrupt while you pant from one month to the next is not patriotic – it is slavery and violence.
This is just the start. The worst is yet to come.
As far as I’m concerned the situation is becoming untenable and the world is becoming one with no freedom which is one in which I do not want to live in. This is not the world that the honest working people deserve.
https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/finance-ministry-deploy-aipowered-software-catch-tax-cheats.1030430?fbclid=IwAR06wS09eDGEPb-3d47PXlNlAGPHpKe4P69W30-UY2Ht9cROLnkfW0KBEOA