You know, we don't have to look back a century to a time when there was
no income tax and the super-wealthy were able to get super-wealthier (the Gilded Age), while the poor and insane were forced to live in almshouses and the like; in fact, in our county in New York, it's only a few years ago that they finally tore those houses down as they were taking up needed room on what subsequently became the Ulster County Fairgrounds.There were also no cars, recreational vehicles, or pleasure boats; no telephones; no electricity, except to some extent in major cities; and on and on. Those were decidedly different times....
This is not meant to be a political post (I don't 'do' political...), but we can look back only a decade to see that in modern times when we
do have taxes
and services (anyone want to live in Mogadishu, Somalia? no government, no taxes, no services, just warlords...) that it
is possible not only to cut the deficit but even create a surplus. Look at this link featured by Fox Business on one of their
On the Issues pages:
http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Bil..._+_Economy.htm
It
can be done! I agree with Rokinronda that it
is the politicians who need to be held accountable. But will we? Too often we hear that we should "throw the bums out," but do we ever? Look at the rate of reelection of incumbents and we can know, as Pogo said (does anyone remember Pogo?), "We have met the enemy and he is us!"
As far as the economy is concerned, which at the bottom line is what we're talking about, IMHO we are in deep excrement....