• aaro [they/them, she/her]@hexbear.net
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    2 months ago

    okay I’m way too freedom-pilled to understand any of this shit, can someone explain TV licenses in hamburger units? is this a license to own a TV? is this like some kind of state run cable thing? what if I only use my TV to stream and play local files? wrong answers are allowed and encouraged but I’d also love to actually know too

    • catonkatonk [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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      2 months ago

      The idea is that if you can receive live television, you have to pay it. The license funds the official state propaganda apparatus.

      They like to make a lot of threatening noises about how they can detect that you’re viewing live TV or whatever, but it’s all nonsense. They send “officers” out to check (these are people most likely employed by firms like Crapita that magically receive all government contracts regardless of the nature of the work). People don’t have to let them in, although the officers like to pretend otherwise. In rare cases they can get a warrant to enter, in which case they are accompanied by pigs.

      I believe we’re allowed to avoid paying even if we have a TV as long as the TV isn’t hooked up to a device that can receive live television. The existence of the internet makes this confusing.

    • glans [it/its]@hexbear.net
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      2 months ago

      TV stations owned by the state paid for by tax money

      but TV stations see that TV stations in other countries charge money so they want to charge

      but its transmitted over the air so can’t enforce it = the honour system

      BUT since your taxes paid for it = ?honour? but you already paid of it


      If they catch you watching TV without paying for the license something happens

      Curtains are pretty effective

      They try to get people to confess like by doing theatrics with fake technology pretending to be able to see through walls and curtains