The Scam That Cripples America!

Nothing has crippled our country more in the last thirty years than the demonization of taxes and it was deceptively easy to perpetrate.

Essentially the “perps” (or demons if you prefer:-) have worked incessantly to persistently dissociate taxes paid from services rendered.  They simply tapped into both a bit human nature and folklore.

Everyone to some degree resents parting with their money even if just a tinge.

Couple that resentment with the age old scam that somehow you can “get something for nothing” or “get someone else to pay for it” and you have the formula that has gridlocked the country and throttled what had arguably become one of the greatest in the world.

Don’t give me that current distortion about the original “Tea Party” being a revolt against taxes.  The real Tea Party was a revolt against a tax loophole and taxation without benefit.  

People who buy into demonizing taxes are no better than the welfare, unemployment or loophole cheats they decry.  They know very well that by definition it is nearly impossible and impractical to exempt them as beneficiaries of public services.

A good example is that demonization of taxes contributed big time to America’s crumbling infrastructure by browbeating officials into deferring maintenance and replacement of roads, bridges, sewers, water systems and more.

Brilliant Sherlocks, now it will cost far more to get things back in shape under crisis!  Oh, I forgot, you don’t need roads, clean water, clean air, health or sanitation.  Or is it that you just don’t feel you should have to pay for it…as one individual protested to the late journalist, Daniel Schorr, “I don’t want my taxes being used for that, let the Federal Government pay for it!”

It is often abetted by reporting such as this recent news story (no it isn’t Fox this time, it’s NPR) that fails to connect the dots between taxes, what we pay, and the services they provide.  Similarly this one in USA Today barks about what failing to extend the tax cuts will do, without noting that only half of those who should, pay any taxes at all or that extending them will run up the deficit by $4 trillion.

This is more than the two wars we put on the credit card during those years when those who demonize taxes were in power, more than the bail-out to rescue the economy and more than health insurance reform (oh, except that last one will actually decrease the deficit.)

I’m not surprised the “perps” demonizing taxes have twisted the issue of healthcare insurance reform because they don’t believe they should be forced to have it.  Given their selfishness, we should check immediately to make sure they have their vehicles safety inspected and liability insurance in force.

These folks know the rest of society won’t take their dare and won’t deny them access to emergency assistance or ambulances or hospitals or medical equipment when they need it.

Let someone else pay for it…right? -

These yahoos are in the “outrage” business and therefore, the “calm down” business of hope doesn’t have a chance. 

- unless the rest of us get equally outraged whenever we hear someone go off on taxes…or call their bluff one day when they come begging for public services.