One thing that interests me about questions around taxation is the basis for beliefs of liberals and conservatives. We're not talking to each other at all.
- Conservatives argue for lower taxes saying "we should be able to keep our money- the government should stay out because freedom means no government should do any more than absolutely necessary so that individual citizens can have maximum choice".
- Liberals tend to argue that taxes should be higher, returned to at least Clinton-era levels, and argue that economic history shows pretty clearly that those tax rates coincided with strong growth for the economy and increasing wages for the median American. Increasing prosperity for middle class and poor people is the main goal of society.
Both statements might be right! The Right really has no leg to stand on when they argue that a return to 1990s tax rates will slow the economy- all the historical evidence points the other way. But that doesn't invalidate the main argument of Low-Taxes people, that morally in a free society the government shouldn't be taking our money.
I'm often disappointed that political arguments aren't made honestly in the public sphere. It would be refreshing to hear a conservative say something like "I know higher taxes won't wreck the economy or even hurt it, but the fact is that lower taxes are a moral good in and of themselves, and if the Middle Class has to sacrifice some prosperity in exchange for freedom from government intervention, it's a small price to pay".
Well, on second thought, I guess I can see why they don't say that much; might not play too well with Joe Sixpack.
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