Most of us have heard the saying, “Teach your kids about taxes by eating 33% of their ice cream.”
I think it’s safe to say this rarely takes place, so, when do most people start to grasp the effect of taxation?
If you’re like me it was after looking at your first paycheck, and seeing all that creative verbiage telling you the government is taking this and taking that blah-blah-blah. It seemed annoying, but when you’re 16 all you really notice is that now you have enough money to go out to Taco Bell, pay for gas, and see a movie with your friends. By the time you’re an adult and paying a much more substantial sum to Uncle Sam, you have become numb to the process. You think: “It is what it is and there’s nothing we can do about “it. Plus, it’s nice to have roads and schools(and fund the military industrial complex, bailout millionaires for making poor business decisions, throw people in jail for committing nonviolent crimes, give foreign millionaires in poor countries millions) , right?
The income tax was simple for the first 130 years of America’s existence. There wasn’t one. The thought of one would be thinking of a committing a crime. The constitution clearly stats “no direct taxes”. Then in 1913 the 16th amendment was “ratified” (another troubling story for another day) and the nation set forth an income tax. They did this because tariffs were becoming unpopular, so congressmen of the time decided to tax only the very rich a small portion of their income and then subsequently get rid of the tariffs. Long story short, they didn’t get rid of tariffs and everyone, as you very well know, started paying the income tax. How the government gets away with this stuff, there are plenty of reasons I’m sure. Let’s take a minute and start to think about that young kid who just got his paycheck and sees a portion of his money being diverted to the government. Truly there is nothing he can do about it since the money is already gone. He never had it in the first place. It was after all, withheld. The government is rather efficient (funny, I know) when it came to taking his money. After a while, when we accept our fate, you might not pay much attention to taxation until April 15th comes around. Then you’ll stumble across more numbers and become even more irritated. But this is precisely how our government is able to commit such a crime. By slowly taking money straight from your paycheck, you are “able” to “contribute” your earnings to Washington.
Before WWII Americans were to pay their income taxes all at once. There was no withholding taxation to “help” Americans pay their fair share. They had to save up their earnings to make sure they had enough to pay or else they would face the cruel reality of being thrown in a cage for being irresponsible with “their” money. Then during WWII our fearless/brainless/morally compromised leader FDR and his administration decided to start taking money away from Americans right away in order to fund the war. This way they wouldn’t have to wait till tax day to receive this tainted revenue. Of course, the government didn’t go back to the old ways after the war was over. Why would they?! This way they could raise taxation much easier, because people would no longer be as worried about paying that annual fee. It is being paid gradually, it’s so genius, it’s criminal!
Now, think about your personal finances for a minute. How would you feel if you had to write Uncle Scam… I mean Sam a check for $8,000…$10,000…$15,000 every April 15th? Would you sit quietly and do your part? Would you even be able to pay it? If we would get rid of the withholding tax, how long before there would be riots in the streets? Honestly, how long? How long before congressmen’s reelections started being threatened? How long before TV stations aired reports of the deceiving tax and whisperings of a new ideological revolution?
The only difference is WHEN and how they take our money. Without the withholding tax, taxation wouldn’t be raised, but we would become much more aware of the great crime that is being committed against the citizenry. It is only ignorance that is holding the American people hostage. Maybe a reversal of the withholding tax could change our future, but Congress understands that they cannot afford that to happen, because they would be forced to lower taxation to a much more modest level. Their careers and cronies depend on fleecing the working people of America. Taxation is always theft, but when done by the sleight of hand, it seems to lessen the blow to our senses, and we live our lives not fully understanding what is taking place.
Many people argue against the notion that taxation is theft, but when something is taken straight from you, without your consent, before you’ve even been asked, it is hard to call it anything other than theft. And those people are more than welcome to donate as much as they want to the military industrial complex, illegal drone wars, bail outs, and under the table contract deals from millionaire to millionaire as much as they want. I mean, it’s a free country, right?? And if we must have taxation should it not be done in an honest fashion instead of changing the rules so we become less and less knowledgeable about what is happening? Eh, that sounds stupid. Theft in an honest fashion? The point is, our government will do almost anything to get as much money from you as possible. Even if it means following the Karl Marx blue print.
What Is Anarchy
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EP
I'm sorry but I have to respectfully disagree with this post. Taxation is not theft. Taxation is what makes a modern society work. It provides the means to enact public good. Everything from the roads you drive on, the parks you play in, the disability or welfare payments a person receives who is down on their luck. Police and fire services - the list goes on.
I think a better argument would be that tax taken is not always spent wisely or for the greater good - but thats something that needs to be address on a political level.
Respectable debate is welcomed!
I believe I understand your opinion. So you would consider it more Ransom than Theft? For example, if you don't pay your taxes, you don't get to go to parks, drive on public roads, attend public school. No that's not right, because if you chose not to pay your taxes, you go to jail. Maybe then, it is like a private transaction, where you agree for a service in return for payment. No, that's not it either, because in a private transaction, you can choose whether or not to purchase the product or service. You can even chose who from and specifically what you would like.
Whereas, with taxes, there is no choice, its compulsory. Don't go to parks? Pay anyway, or go to jail. Don't have kids in school? Pay anyway, or go to jail. Don't agree with the way they spend your money? Pay anyway, or go to jail.
If something is valued by the public, the free market can produce it more efficiently and less expensively than the government, without threat of imprisonment.
So, what would you call taxation?
The kids need to learn about America's first patriot, James Otis Jr, who coined the phrase: "Taxation without representation is tyranny" !