“A free people [claim] their rights as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their chief magistrate.” – Thomas Jefferson, Rights of British America, 1774 (1)
“A people… who are possessed of the spirit of commerce, who see and who will pursue their advantages may achieve almost anything.” – George Washington, letter to Benjamin Harrison, October 10, 1784 (2)
While people travel, enjoy cook-outs and fireworks this 4th of July, don’t forget the reason we celebrate this holiday – American Independence, and freedom.
These two things mean different things to different people – to some freedom simply might mean to be able to go and do as they please while for others it means being able to speak their mind and stand up for what they believe in.
But what about the freedom to reach our full economic potential? With interference like the Internal Revenue Service taxing us more and more the higher we earn, it’s almost a punishment to succeed.
“The Central Government should be limited to basic functions. Defending the nation against foreign enemies, preserving order at home, mediating our disputes.” – Milton Freidman (3)
One of the founding principals of our country, freedom, is surprisingly limited in government today, says thinkers like former Congressman Ron Paul, when compared to the government we started with over 250 years ago; and it’s probably not something our founding fathers would be pleased to see.
It’s grown significantly with the country, which was to be expected. Unfortunately with that growth we’ve also seen more government interference with things they shouldn’t and don’t need to be involved in.
Writing in a column published in Newsmax and elsewhere with 4th of July reflections, Paul notes our government is involved with everything from our schools and housing, to tracking our income and keeping records of all our electronic correspondence. (4) This did not used to be the case, nor should it continue to be.
“Enormous taxes, burdensome taxes, oppressive, ruinous, intolerable taxes.” – John Adams (5)
Take the IRS for example. One of the things that finally caused the American colonists to say enough was enough was when Great Britain started to excessively tax everything from sugar to eventually tea. Yet today we are taxed not only a flat rate on specific purchases, but are also taxed a large sum each year based on how much we earn in a given year.
The more you earn, the higher you are taxed. While this may seem fair to some, it can feel like a punishment for success.
Why are we not entitled to keep the money we earn in full? Why must we be forced to give away a significant portion of our hard earned income to a government which steps in and restricts our lives in so may different aspects?
“Income redistribution is simply a legal form of what a thief does. That is, when a thief robs you he redistributes income from you to him. Now the primary distinction between his behavior and that of congress is simply a matter of legality.” – Walter E. Williams, Ph.D., George Mason University. (6)
Yes, that income tax pays for many important things – like keeping our government services up and running, keeping programs to help low-income families get ahead, and much more. But rather than forcing everyone who succeeds to pay for it all, why not find a more fair way to collect this tax?
Perhaps that might convince more people to work harder and strive for success. No one really wants to live on a small government assistance check each month – but when they start earning just enough that they no longer qualify, then they are punished by being cut off of government help without the means to obtain affordable housing, or healthcare.
No one should be punished for success, and no one should be forced to live in poverty because they cannot afford to live through the transition from poverty to success. Lower tax rates, fairer tax principles, would be a step in the right direction for economic success for all Americans.
Right now, in the words of Walter Williams, we’re the victims, and Congress are the thieves. This is unacceptable – and yet we do nothing but comply, year after year.
Our founding fathers left their King and their country over a tax on tea; and yet we’ve allowed the government they stood up for and created to do the same thing to us, on a significantly larger scale.
Is this really freedom? ## (News, Flashback, Analysis.)
Footnotes & Sources:
(1) http://www.marksquotes.com/Founding-Fathers/Jefferson/
(2) http://www.marksquotes.com/Founding-Fathers/Washington/index2.htm
(3) http://www.newsmax.com/RonPaul/tyranny-government-independence-british/2017/07/03/id/799606/
(2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUL152yGVGI
(5) http://foreignpolicy.com/2012/07/03/tea-taxes-and-the-revolution/
(6) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXy-OJi8JTQ
(Publisher’s note: Analysis and other columns that reflect an opinion should be construed as that of the writer, and may or may not reflect the views of the publisher, or sponsors. Other well-reasoned perspectives are welcomed via iReportMHNewsTips@MHMSM.com. Note, the author questioned her own headline and asked for help with it. Editors historically pick the final headline. She submitted it as: “The Hope of Economic Freedom is Lost on Our Current Government.”)
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