Do you believe the money you earn is yours?

Question

Just a tiny chicken and egg problem. You wouldn't make a dime of that without the government enabling you to make it.

* Printing the very dollar bills with which people trade.
* Public roads.
* Rural electrification.
* Government subsidized telephone wiring.
* Satellite communications.
* Police protection.
* Military protection.
* A criminal justice system.
* Fire protection.
* Paramedic protection.
* An educated workforce.
* An immunized workforce.
* Protection against plagues by the Centers for Disease Control.
* Public-funded business loans, foreclosure loans and subsidies.
* Protection from business fraud and unfair business practices.
* The protection of intellectual property through patents and copyrights.
* Student loans.
* Government funded research and development.
* National Academy of Sciences.
* Economic data collected and analyzed by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

* Prevention of depressions by Keynesian policies at the Fed (successful for six decades now).
* Dollars protected from inflation by the Fed.
* Federal Emergency Management Agency.
* Public libraries.
* Cooperative Extension Service (vital for agriculture)
* National Biological Service.
* National Weather Service
* Public job training.

"Why shouldn't the American people take half my money from me? I took all of it from them."
- Edward Albert Filene (1869-1937)

Answer 1

You raise a very good point. If we benefit from government programs, we have an obligation to pay for those programs. And we can't expect the Social Contract to be fully renewed every time a new generation is born, so we have to give Caesar what is due Caesar until such time that we find it necessary to take over the government and change things.

Death and taxes are often called the two inevitable things in life, and with good reason. Can anyone point out a population in the current world that is completely without taxes or government? Didn't think so. So those that complain about the very existence of taxes may as well be complaining that the Sun sets in the West. No matter who you are or where you live, you're going to have to deal with taxes. So deal with it.

P.S. Here is a good list of government programs and actions that we all have benefitted from:

http://www.brook.edu/GS/CPS/50ge/50greatest.htm

Answer 2

Right... those are the things taxes should be used for (minus the loans, the govt is not a personal bank... immunized workforce, the govt is not an HMO...)... useful services that can benefit EACH and EVERY citizen, as well as the defense of the country and the setup to make and enforce laws...

unfortunately there are lots of handouts to the lazy, relief efforts, 'endowments' for the arts and CRAP like that that have no business being part of the government. That is not what government was set up to be, nor should it be.....

I do not hate taxation... I hate unequal taxation... you want to tax each and every person 20% on any and all income made over a $20000.00 baseline.... great, I'll live with that... .equal burden of taxation on each and every individual.... and I hate the fact that the libs believe they best know what to do with your money, hence wealth redistribution to the lazy and numerous bureaucracies for artwork made of urine, grants so someone can study the effect of dish washing soap on cattle, etc....

Answer 3

Jeeeeesh, I wonder what the persians, mongols, turks, jews, africans, etc, did throughout the ages, were most of the institutions you wasted time listed were invented/established. I'm sure that when the first two people that traded salt for elk meat thought they earned and owned the "money".

Answer 4

It's the pork barrel spending that bothers me.
Like the $50 million Alaskan bridge for 50 people.
There are more examples, but I don't keep track.
Too depressing.

Answer 5

Reasonable taxation is permissible, but God Almighty only asks for 10%. Any tax rate beyond that is immoral.

Answer 6

The money you have is not really yours.What it is is an IOU meaning the note Is worth so much in gold to the barrer of said not.

Answer 7

I am happy to share my taxes to help promote the common good of our nation.

Nice list of items.

Answer 8

excellent!
but "boring" and "facts" most don't want to know.
like telling us the truth about Santa..
so print them often and when they get bored of the spin those enquiring minds may want to know!

Answer 9

I'm a big War Hero, I earned it by doing nothing.

Answer 10

Taxes are a investment in your country, one of the most patriotic thing you can do.