I think a lot of the dispute over taxes stems from a disagreement whether utility theory has a place in taxation. A dollar means more to someone who has fewer of them. To a liberal, that implies that if everybody is to bear equivalent "pain" from taxes, the dollars of the rich need to be discounted +/-. Thus the idea of progressive taxation arose.
Conservatives (if they're reasonable enough to admit to the need for taxation at all, and I think most but not all would) might argue against this on two planes.
First, they might dispute the underlying premise. To me, that's rather greedy. It isn't appropriate to kick those who are down on their luck -- much better to help them recover.
Second, they might argue against the particulars (e.g. the maximum rate is too high or the schedule is too progressive). To me, questions like that are why we have a democratic process.
Quite frankly, although I sometimes tend to take the extreme liberal position when confronted with extreme conservatism, I think the "one true way" is probably somewhere in the middle. I hate to see my taxes wasted as much as the next guy, and I struggle like heck this time of year to try to make sure I'm not paying more than the legally required amount. But when it comes time to write the check, I try to do it cheerfully; this country has been good to me, and somebody's got to pay for it.
I think it was a good idea to start this thread, but I doubt it will see much use. There are some folks out there who I would describe as rabid in their desire to insert politics (and religion) into every thread they visit.
JMHO, of course. |
