04-18-2007, 06:20 PM
Quote:
In the USA, I think we might be watching the beginning of the end of democracy. Where I live, 30% of the people pay no taxes at all, and 1/2 of those actually receive a payment at tax time (low income tax credit) for being low income. The voting trend of those non-paying voters is toward the party that keeps them off the tax roles, and the party that panders to them tries to increase the number of people who pay zero taxes to as high a level as is possible. So you see over time, a majority would be formed and be controlled by a group who do not pay for the government services they consume. This is a path toward financial ruin and defacto communism, where large complicit corporations (corporations not interested in capitalism, or free markets) fund politics and choose their own self sustaining puppet politicians. People believe that corporations are all "capitalist" and in favor of democracy, but it is not true. In my opinion, progressive taxation is a violation of the equal protection clause of the Constitution. Citizens should be treated equally, even in taxation. If you want to tax incomes, then all incomes should be taxed equally, and the yoke and lash of government should be felt equally by all.
It sounds far fetched, I know. I am concerned though when we openly allow and accept wealthy foreigners dedicating wealth toward influencing the politics of a nation (mine or yours). I am reminded of our revolutionary past when James Otis said, "taxation without representation is tyranny".
I disagree with two things kandrathe. First, usually (maybe I'm wrong and in your case this is different) the lowest incomes (or people without jobs) usually don't vote. In Holland a lot of right wing people say that immigrants are voting for left wing parties and the left wing parties try to be nicer to immigrants etc. etc. while in fact voting percentage among immigrants is very low, and if they vote they often have a tendency to vote for the christian conservative parties (because christian and muslim conservatives share many opinions). So I might be wrong but I find it hard to believe that what you say is true. I thought it was more a republican theme during elections to say that taxes should go down?
Second; I agree with higher taxes for higher incomes for the following reason. Higher incomes profit hugely from economic prosperity while they don't suffer so much when there are bad economic times. The economy is also based on people paying taxes. I mean pharmaceutical companies for example all go belly up when there are no health plans for people. So in fact a small contribution to a health insurance for poor people makes another group very rich....because they can sell stuff to them.