Charles Adams wrote a history of taxation with a provocative chapter titled Was It Taxes, Rather Than Slavery, That Caused the Civil War? He gets into great detail, what I remember most is the South wanted to have tariff free ports and there was no way the North would allow that. It would have made Boston and New York secondary ports compared to what Charleston and New Orleans would have become, especially with the Northwest just opening up.
For Good and Evil: The Impact of Taxes on the Course of Civilization
by Charles Adams
>>I read this book sometime ago, but still recall it quite vividly. For good and evil- taxes seem like there here to stay. Adams, a tax attorney by trade, offers an intriguing narrative history of taxation since ancient times. Moreover, he illustrates how their is a fine line of how much sustained taxation a civilization can endure before it collapses, (hence the Laffer Curve.) He points out the pitfalls the befall ancient Rome and Egypt when they engaged in confiscatory taxation policies.
Additionally, he shows how high taxes feed a vicious cycle of statism, corruption and more taxes and economic collapse as demagogues rise to the power. Indeed, this book makes it clear that taxation has "the power to destroy" as it has brought mighty empires to their knees. (Granted, some might say its the effect, not the cause of a debased culture. Morality and tradition play a role as well in the collapse of civilizations.)
amazon.com |
