There was once a time when history was actually taught in this country. Its a damn shame because there is a lot people could learn. Here is a great piece by John Adams, one of the great Americans and a Founding Father. When you compare Adams to slop that is being peddled through Washington today, the contrast is stunning. We ought to be embarrassed by the people who we put into power. "Suppose a nation, rich and poor, high and low, ten millions in number, all assembled together; not more than one or two millions will have lands, houses, or any personal property; if we take into the account the women and children, or even if we leave them out of the question, a great majority of every nation is wholly destitute of property, except a small quantity of clothes, and a few trifles of other movables. Would Mr. Nedham be responsible that, if all were to be decided by a vote of the majority, the eight or nine millions who have no property, would not think of usurping over the rights of the one or two millions who have? Property is surely a right of mankind as really as liberty. Perhaps, at first, prejudice, habit, shame or fear, principle or religion, would restrain the poor from attacking the rich, and the idle from usurping on the industrious; but the time would not be long before courage and enterprise would come, and pretexts be invented by degrees, to countenance the majority in dividing all the property among them, or at least, in sharing it equally with its present possessors. Debts would be abolished first; taxes laid heavy on the rich, and not at all on the others; and at last a downright equal division of every thing be demanded, and voted. What would be the consequence of this? The idle, the vicious, the intemperate, would rush into the utmost extravagance of debauchery, sell and spend all their share, and then demand a new division of those who purchased from them. The moment the idea is admitted into society, that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If "Thou shalt not covet," and "Thou shalt not steal," were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society, before it can be civilized or made free." John Adams
we see his waning / prediction coming true in california where only a third of us pay income taxes and the populace votes for more income taxes. I think everyone should pay income taxes. we all need skin in the game even if we have to raise the handouts to match the income tax the first time its down. Then you will start seeing more responsible government.
I don't really see taxes themselves as bad as long the reasons to tax are correct. Taxing people to fund the Golden Gate bridge, Hoover Dam, the Interstate highway system are great examples of what good can from taxes. Taxes are bad when they are for frivolous projects, repaying political cronies, and for redistribution of wealth purposes. Unfortunately, the majority of people in Washington are unenlightened and are using taxes to punish the haves and to payoff the have-nots thus bolstering their own political career. This is unenlightened and self centered so their is not much to be impressed with from that point of view. People take it for granted that this will be a rich nation, but it is quite possible to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs, just ask the NFL.