It is easy to lull yourself into complacency after all “Taxes are the price we pay for civilization.” That would be fine if taxes were a small part of our income, but they are not.

In the last year I paid about one third of my gross income in income taxes. I lost 48 cents of each extra dollar I earned. Over the last fifteen years or so I have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in income taxes. That is income taxes. It does not include property taxes, sales taxes, automobile taxes, gasoline taxes, telephone taxes, airline ticket taxes, alcohol taxes and all the other fees and imposts that government levies on us.

That money does not just represent abstract numbers. That money represents my life, my dreams, my future, being held hostage. That money could have paid for a house, provided for further education, provided security from unemployment or sickness. Many talk of “social justice,” but where is the justice in one third (or more) of my life been ripped from me under the threat of brutal force? And if you don’t believe in the “brutal force” argument just try telling the IRS “Due to other obligations, I cannot comply with your request” and see what happens.

Amendment XIII to the United States Constitution allegedly protects us from “involuntary servitude” but Amendment XVI reestablished it. From three fifths to two thirds, that is not a lot of progress.

Notes:

It is interesting that Tax Day and Election Day are about as far apart as they could be. Coincidence?

Ending the payroll deduction and paying taxes monthly (like any other “utility”) might make the tax burden clearer.

If you received a refund it is not a gift, it is the return of a loan (but you knew that already)

If you received a “refund” for more than the taxes you paid then you are on welfare. You are a tax spender, not a tax payer.

Daniel Hannan, a member of the British Conservative Party, gives a blistering speech about Gordon Brown.  Everything he says could be said about the USA and Obama (and Bush).  It is hard to find commentary like that here.  He is definitely doing a job too few Americans want to do.  Just watch the video of his speech, for “Brown” read “Obama (or Bush),” for “Britain” read “United States.”

Let him in. Si Se Puede (of course we can mate).

Sadly Obama does not even reach these great heights. He is unoriginal and bad.  The parts of his agenda that are original are also truly awful. These parts consist of 40 years of left-wing aspirations.  Indeed, they are not even that original, consisting mostly of FDR style make-work programs with a thin coat of paint (paint that is no doubt, fair traded, shade grown, eco-friendly, and union made).

The government cannot create wealth, it cannot create jobs, it can only shuffle things around minus a cut for the house. Just like Vegas, the house always wins and most punters lose. It may look like you won ten dollars on the slots until you realize that you spent twenty dollars to play. At least Vegas offers entertainment.

Worse than Obama’s original stuff is his unoriginal stuff. Despite all the talk of change, he seems willing to keep all of the Bush trifecta (Invade the world, Invite the World, In debt to the World – hat tip to Steve Sailer for that phrase).  He still seems willing to invade the world (Afghanistan instead of Iraq).  He still wants to invite the world (so called “comprehensive immigration reform”). He is running up more debt than if George Bush had rediscovered cocaine and alcohol.

The result so far: Not much hope and pocket change (he has promised a tax cut).