did our founding fathers envision?

Question

Do you think our founding fathers invisioned an America where 40% of our income is taken away by the government before we even spend anything. And probably closer to 50% is taken out before it's all said and done.

Wasn't the revolution over stuff like this? How much did those people pay in taxes compared with modern day?

"if I lose my job and get sick I will have to blow my life savings or die."
I guess one of my points is that we pay nearly 40% in taxes and still there a many americans without health insurance who are forced with this choice.

The problem is the services the government provides is getting worse and we're not paying less. Little health care, failing education system, the library in my town is so out of date it's not funny, Social security will be non-existant by the time I'm old enough to collect and I'll never see a return on that money, etc

"40%?"
this counts basically federal tax at ~25% state tax at ~5% and social security and medicare at roughly 10% before I see anything

Answer 1

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

This is quoted from the American Declaration of Independence!

If a politician found he had cannibals among his constituents, he would promise them missionaries for dinner.
Henry Louis Mencken (1880-1956)

CAPITAL, n. The seat of misgovernment. That which provides the fire, the pot, the dinner, the table and the knife and fork for the anarchist; the part of the repast that himself supplies is the disgrace before meat.
Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914)

We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude. If we run into such debt, as we must be taxed in our meat and in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and our amusements, for our calling and our creeds… we will have no time to think, no means of calling our miss-managers to account, but we will be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow suffers… And this is the tendency of all human governments. A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent foe another… till the bulk of society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery… And the fore-horse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in it’d train wretchedness and oppression.
Thomas Jefferson 1743-1826

To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.
Thomas Jefferson 1743 - 1826

Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.
George Washington

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.
Abraham Lincoln

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.
Abraham Lincoln

In the beginning of a change, the Patriot is a scarce man, Brave, Hated, and Scorned. When his cause succeeds however, the timid join him, For then it costs nothing to be a Patriot.
Mark Twain 1835 -1910

The government is merely a servant — merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn't. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.
Mark Twain 1835 -1910

Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it.
Mark Twain 1835 -1910

A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.
Edward Abbey

It is not the function of the government to keep the citizen from falling into error; it is the function of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice : Robert H. Parker

Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.
George Orwell

Some these aren't founding fathers but their words speak to what our founding fathers had to say.

If our founding fathers were alive today. They would lay siege to DC. They would tar and feather all the politicians and hang them on the steps of the buildings. Then leave them there for all to see what happens to those that screw Americans!

Answer 2

Well aren't the Republicans supposed to be a Conservative party not just socially but economically?

You're the ones who elected a guy who is blowing the bank on some rediculously worthless war. That's money from your pocket and could have made a big difference at home.

I wonder why Americans whine about this so much though. America is among the lowest taxed country in the developed world. Here in Canada and all across Europe people pay a lot more taxes but don't whine about it nearly so much. There's a fine balance between necessary social spending and when it is done to excess. I wouldn't trade away things like a public health care system in exchange for paying a couple of percent less tax.

I'm against wasteful spending and excessive social programs as much as anyone, but I don't dream of this libertarian utopia where I make 25% more income a year but there are no public libraries, rec centers, if I lose my job and get sick I will have to blow my life savings or die. All so I could buy a BMW instead of a Pontiac. I even vote Conservative but I don't think there is anything close to matching the unimaginable materialistic nature of some Americans. The entire goal of life is to just have more money in the bank to buy more consumer items?

Answer 3

You are sssooooo correct!!! If the founding fathers could visit us today, they would be heartsick at what we have made of their vision!! We have allowed the very factions they fought against, to take back the rights and privileges they held so dear!! The self acclaimed 'ELITE', the rich, have slowly undermined the constitution, to the point where we are looking more and more like a 16th century civilization! The middle class is being slowly dismantled, and the working poor are becoming the largest portion of society! There are more millionaires than ever before, but they are still a small percentage of the society!!! We see more and more Government surveillance, and monitoring of our daily lives! Heck, even the people you work for, monitor your every move, with in house video surveillance, and gps! Then there are military satellites, that know where you are, where you go, when you return, and what you do!!! This is a fact kids!!!

Answer 4

Here in the Chicago area they want to have an 11% sales tax. Property taxes are increased at 300 to 400% faster than the official rate of inflation. Every year.
You are lucky if you are paying only 40% of your income out in taxes.
Our brilliant Founding Fathers amazed the whole world when they refused to become "kings" and worked so diligently to LIMIT Government power. They put the power of government into the hands of the people. They then gave us a "Bill of Rights" that directly states what the rights reserved to the citizen are.
They KNEW that POWER corrups and those in power tend to become more corrupt as they receive more POWER.
Immediately after they gave us our Constitution and the "Bill of Rights, crooked lawyers and potential tyrannical politicians went to work to grab back as much of that power as they could as fast as they could.
Today you have little power remaining. The Bill of Rights has been evicerated by the Supreme Court and the ACLU.
Money is Power.
If a politician can take you money, they can take what little power you have remaining. Then they can use it to further their own dubious desires.
NEVER vote for ANY politician who wants to raise taxes!
Never vote for any politicians who wants to take away ANY of the rights you have been guaranteed. Especially freedom of speech in ANY of its forms.
NOW they want to tax the internet to restrict THIS format.

Answer 5

40%? Wow! You must earn a fortune.
The fact is easily verified that a surprisingly small percentage of your tax dollars go to the poor. Most of it goes to subsidizing corporations. That includes the bulk of the military budget. We invent wars to destroy our military equipment and stockpiles, so the govt. i.e. investors in the military industrial complex can raid the Treasury, ordering new weapons systems and ammo to replace the destroyed stuff. Send a letter to Blackwater USA, McDonald Douglas, Lockheed, Halliburton, etc. and tell them you want your money back.

Answer 6

Possibly -- but they put that within the discretion of Congress -- rather than setting limits in the Constitution -- because they believed people would actually care enough about their govt to vote bad politicians out of office.

They drastically under-estimated the apathy level of current voters.

Answer 7

purely yet another step of the government taking on a splash at a time. No it relatively is no longer what our founding fathers had in strategies. we've sat back on our backsides and enable the government slowly get us to the situation that we predict of we've no precise to merchandise to their policies and policies. ask your self what they drink.

Answer 8

I dare say they didn't set out to establish a government that would be more intrusive than anything George III could have dreamed up.