Topic: Something to Ponder (as the Ides of April loom nigh)

[Dunrobin]

First a little Poem
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Tax his land, tax his wage,
Tax his bed in which he lays.
Tax his tractor, tax his mule,
Teach him taxes is the rule.
Tax his cow, tax his goat,
Tax his pants, tax his coat.
Tax his ties, tax his shirts,
Tax his work, tax his dirt.
Tax his tobacco, tax his drink,
Tax him if he tries to think.
Tax his booze, tax his beers,
If he cries, tax his tears.
Tax his bills, tax his gas,
Tax his notes, tax his cash.
Tax him good and let him know
That after taxes, he has no dough.
If he hollers, tax him more,
Tax him until he's good and sore.
Tax his coffin, tax his grave,
Tax the sod in which he lays.
Put these words upon his tomb,
"Taxes drove me to my doom!"
And when he's gone, we won't relax,
We'll still be after the inheritance TAX

Hey maybe you'll get a refund!!

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel permit tax
Gasoline Tax (Huh cents per gallon)
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Interest expense (tax on the money)
Inventory tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road usage taxes (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone federal excise tax
Telephone federal universal service fee tax
Telephone federal, state and local surcharge taxes
Telephone minimum usage surcharge tax
Telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax
Telephone state and local tax Telephone usage charge tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration, Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft registration, Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax.

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago and our nation was the most prosperous in the world, had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world and the mothers stayed home to raise the children. What happened?

I wish I could take credit for the above, but I saw it posted on another site and thought I'd share it here.  Apparently this has been making the rounds on the internet, and I couldn't find an original credit for it.

[Pilsner Panther]

What happened? 40 years or so of corruption, greed, gross mismanagement, the people themselves doing stupid things like electing brainless movie actors to high office, family political dynasties such as the Kennedys and the Bushes (virtual "royalty," which we aren't supposed to have here), etc., etc.

And what— only a generation ago— was the region of America that was the manufacturing powerhouse of the world, is now known as the "Rust Belt," which I think is the greatest shame of all. Our industrial capacity was this country's single greatest strength, and our half-wit "leaders" in both government and business let it all go right down the old crapper. Republican, Democrat, it doesn't matter, they were all bought off and they all sold out.



It's a very long list indeed... I could go on and on. But the question I want to ask here is, were "The Good Old Days" really that much better? In some ways yes, and in some ways no, I'd say.

For example, I don't think that any sane black American would want to go back to 1946, or even 1956. Also, medicine and dentistry were both primitive and painful, and sometimes fatal in the past; even procedures that are now considered routine. Organized religion controlled practically everyone's lives, in one way or another. There were no home computers (the early vacuum-tube models were the size of a small house, and less powerful than what you have on your desk right now), there was a brutal war followed by a worldwide depression followed by an even more brutal war—

Again, it's a long list. But getting back to how much of your personal income you're permitted to keep, here's a lament about that very subject, from 1920. "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

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[Bangsmith]

What happened? 40 years or so of corruption, greed, gross mismanagement, the people themselves doing stupid things like electing brainless movie actors to high office, family political dynasties such as the Kennedys and the Bushes (virtual "royalty," which we aren't supposed to have here), etc., etc.

And what— only a generation ago— was the region of America that was the manufacturing powerhouse of the world, is now known as the "Rust Belt," which I think is the greatest shame of all. Our industrial capacity was this country's single greatest strength, and our half-wit "leaders" in both government and business let it all go right down the old crapper. Republican, Democrat, it doesn't matter, they were all bought off and they all sold out.



It's a very long list indeed... I could go on and on. But the question I want to ask here is, were "The Good Old Days" really that much better? In some ways yes, and in some ways no, I'd say.

For example, I don't think that any sane black American would want to go back to 1946, or even 1956. Also, medicine and dentistry were both primitive and painful, and sometimes fatal in the past; even procedures that are now considered routine. Organized religion controlled practically everyone's lives, in one way or another. There were no home computers (the early vacuum-tube models were the size of a small house, and less powerful than what you have on your desk right now), there was a brutal war followed by a worldwide depression followed by an even more brutal war—

Again, it's a long list. But getting back to how much of your personal income you're permitted to keep, here's a lament about that very subject, from 1920. "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

The good ol' days seemed good because crime and poverty were kept out of sight. Any deviance was dealt with decisively. Half the country practiced apartheid until 1963 (Jim Crow) and the Indians are still managed by a federal agency.
What happened? Greed. The basic idea in life, as we're taught, is to "Go for it". It doesn't matter how much you already have. Poor, working-class, middle-class, and wealthy people are all culprits. We all want to succeed. Most people of all classes are willing to do some questionable deeds, sometimes for innocent reasons such as raising a proper family. The thing is that the wealthy money-grubbers should set a moral example for the rest of us by quitting while ahead. I lived in the ghetto from age 20 to age 30 (three years ago, if you see my profile!), and everyone I knew said that they hustle and rob people because the rich are just as bad, which is true. It's a chain reaction. King George(Bush), The 1st said "No new taxes!". He didn't say anything about raising existing ones!!!