[Vision2020] The Tea Party is "Hissing" about Nothing: The Truth about Death and Taxes

[lfalen]

Nick
You are probably right when you say "there is no such thing as a true libertarian" I am mostly libertarian, but due not agree with all libertarian thought.
on plucking the goose- This is the wrong concept. Government should do only those thing people cannot do for themselves. There should be more emphases  on self reliance. The idea of getting as must money as possible is wrong. The right approach should be to do what is necessary as efficiently  and as economical as possible. incidently I am as opposed to corporate welfare as I m to handouts to the able bodied who wont work. 
Roger
-----Original message-----
From: nickgier at roadrunner.com
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:59:40 -0700
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] The Tea Party is "Hissing" about Nothing: The Truth about Death and Taxes

> Greetings:
> 
> This is my radio commentary/column for the week.  If you want read my theological ruminations and something about Roman property, then the full version is attached.
> 
> Roger, I have a question for you.  In one of your recent posts you said that high taxation is theft, but doesn't a consistent libertarian say that about all taxation?  A true libertarian would not accept your taxes for veterans and the disabled. Where do you draw the line between good taxes and robbery taxes?  Just goes to show that there is no such thing as a true libertarian.
> 
> Proud taxpayer and willing to pay more for civilization,
> 
> Nick
> 
> THE TEA PARTY IS “HISSING” ABOUT NOTHING:
> THE TRUTH ABOUT DEATH AND TAXES
> 
> By Nick Gier
> 
> Our new Constitution is now established and it promises permanency; 
> but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.
> 
> ~Benjamin Franklin
> 
> I like to pay taxes.  With them I buy civilization.  
> 
> ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
> 
> Louis XIV’s finance minister Jean Baptist Colbert once said that “the art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to get the most feathers with the least hissing.” A delicious irony is that the TEA Partiers (Taxed Enough Already) are condemning a government that picks the least amount of feathers in the industrialized world.  
> 
> Since President Obama took office, he has reduced middle class taxes even more than the record low in 2006.  At that time those households averaging $60,700 paid, according to the Congressional Budget Office, 3 percent in federal income tax--way down from 8.3 percent in 1981.
> 
> If you travel to Europe you will hear many geese hissing about their plucked plumage, and many left-center governments have been replaced by right-center governments. The tax rates, however, remain very high and few Europeans become tax emigrants by voting with their feet. 
> 
> At 48.2 percent of Gross Domestic Product, the Danes pay the highest taxes in the world, but in 2006 less than 1 percent (46,786) left their country. (New immigrants added 56,750 people.) In 2007 the Confederation of Danish Industry did a survey of 991 ex-pats, and found that avoiding taxes ranked fourth among 11 reasons for emigrating.  About twice as many chose “I felt like living in another country.”
> 
> For the past five years conservatives have governed Sweden, but the top income tax rate still remains at 60 percent. In 2009 taxes took 46.4 percent of the Swedish GDP as opposed to 24 percent in the U.S. Free marketeers would declare such a country an economic basket case. 
> 
> But, according to the World Economic Forum rankings for 2010-11, Sweden is topped only by Switzerland for economic competitiveness while the U.S. stands in fourth place. The Economist reports that seventh placed Finland is the most innovative country in the world, and ninth placed Denmark is the most business friendly.
> 
> Riding high at 7.3 percent, Sweden currently has the largest increase in GDP growth in Europe and the second lowest budget deficit of .8 percent. Comparable U.S. figures are 2.8 percent growth and a 8.8 percent budget deficit. 
> 
> Significantly enough, the countries that are in financial trouble are those with lower taxes per GDP and higher budget deficits (except for Spain and Iceland): Ireland (29.3%; 13%), Spain (30.7%; 6.6%), Greece (32.6%; 8.1%), Portugal (36.7%; 8+%), and Iceland (36.7%; 6%).  One obvious lesson to learn: sufficient tax revenue reduces deficits (duh!). 
> 
> Like other Europeans the Swedes appear to be satisfied with what their high taxes give them: universal medical care at half the cost of the U.S., unemployment payments at 80 percent of earnings, and the longest paid maternity/paternity leaves in the world.  
> 
> Hans Morgenthau once said that "Although Justice Holmes said: 'Taxes are what we pay for civilized society,' too many citizens want the civilization at a discount.”  This truth applies especially to tax-hating Americans, who, in their refusal to be levied for investment in human capital and physical infrastructure, will assure their country’s decline in the 21st Century.
> 
> European countries invest in sex education programs that dramatically reduce teen pregnancy rates and fetal deaths by abortions.  (U. S. ranks with Third World in these areas.)  The most uncivilized places in the U.S. are our prisons where we incarcerate more people per capita than any other country. 
> 
> American health care is so poor that it ranks last among 19 advanced countries for preventable deaths. A statistic like this gives new meaning to Patrick Henry’s demand “Give me liberty or give me death.” Is maximum personal liberty—regardless of the consequences— really what most people want?
> 
> There is yet another interesting correlation between death and taxes. If you want lead the high life and in some cases court an early death, then you should pay high taxes on the booze, cigars, luxury yachts, and fast cars that you buy.  In my experience, however, incredibly high taxes on tobacco products and alcohol have not cut the Danes’ desire to light up or to drink large quantities of aquavit, great beer, and now wine.
> 
> Speaking of booze, tax protester and science fiction writer Robert Heinlein warns: “Be wary of strong drink.  It can make you shoot at tax collectors. . . and miss.” But there was one ancient prophet who never carried a weapon and counted a tax collector as one of his trusted companions.  His name was Jesus of Nazareth.
> 
> Proud taxpayer Nick Gier taught philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years. 
> 
> 
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