Yep, it’s that time of year again. April 15th in the United States has a special meaning – it’s tax day. File your yearly income tax return OR ELSE!
Normally I’d spend all day ranting and raving about how much I hate the IRS (which I do) and how taxes are evil (which they are) and so forth. But honestly I’m just too tired to do that today.
I had my taxes prepared professionally this year – the move, along with some other things, introduced some complexities to my return that I just didn’t want to deal with, so I paid some people who’s logo is a rather uninspired green square to do it for me.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m any less angry at the IRS for taking my money away from me. What was that quote… ah yes, that April 15th is “the day I capitulate to the reality that the USA is actually socialist.” So true, so true.
Not to dampen anyone’s spirits, but if you’re feeling pretty happy today because you’re getting a refund on your taxes, just remember – that’s your money to begin with. You just “lent” it to the government, interest free. Nice deal for them, eh?
Ah, taxes…
To be fair, though, there are some things the government does as specified in the Constitution that we should pay taxes for. For example, coining money or maintaining a military.
Mind, I think we’ve gone way overboard, but I’m not convinced taxes are evil so much as the things we do with said taxes are.
Right, but income taxes are probably not the way the founding fathers saw as the “right” way for Government to accomplish those few things that Government is meant to do (roads, military, postal service, etc.)
Remember as well that money was originally handled by private banks – the government had no constitutional authority to “make” money. It was only after banks kept collapsing that the need for a federalized, centralized bank became clear.
This is just another example of how government has “creeped” into things – many (if not most) of which it has no good right to be doing.
As I’ve said before, this is endemic to all large organizations – the “bureaucratic effect”, if you will.
The question is… how to stop it?
Well, the Constitution grants the Federal government the right to “coin money, regulate the value thereof and of foreign coin” (Section 1.8, line 5). The Federal Bank was one of the big issues in Washington’s day; unfortunately, Hamilton got his wish, and the Federal Reserve isn’t something that’s going away anytime soon.
Income taxes, though, are not in the Constitution as originally written (though added by Amendment later)–our Founding Fathers undoubtedly wanted us to fund the government mostly through duties and such.
Stopping this on the government level seems nigh-impossible at this point. Even Reagan wasn’t able to actually get anything cut, and that was one of the big things he went for.
Sometimes I think we ought to wipe the entire slate of laws clean and start over. Alternatively, to borrow from Heinlein, somehow create a system by which every N years (say, 20), a law must be re-passed by the legislature (Heinlein suggested a 3/4 majority in this case) or it goes away. It would clear out a lot of crap laws over time, and would help get rid of cruft.
However, no one would ever consider implementing it. Sadly.
That’s a really good idea – I’ve always thought laws needed an “expiration date” of sorts.
But you’re right – it is sad that such a thing will never happen.
Well, I guess that just leaves armed rebellion. Yee-haw!
Let’s just pray they don’t try to take our guns away first. A well-armed civilian militia is essential to the defense of any state from totalitarianism.
So, how do we go about starting the Second American Revolution?
It’s really, really hard when the government has NUKES. Never mind the patriot missiles, the tanks, the helicopters, jet planes, unmanned surveillance drones… hmmm… we may be too late!