Taxes And Civilization

A popular claim by progressives these days is the quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes 'taxes is the price we pay fir civilization.'  Yes, they do. Until they become oppressive and inefficient. Then they tend to destroy civilizations.

For leftists, taxes are a means to an end. They've convinced themselves there would be no civilization without a powerful (and intrusive) state and the taxes it collects coerces from people.

They speak about how past documents like the Constitution, as an example, must be updated (to meet their ideals of course) but have little qualms about clinging on to progressive programs increasingly under duress.

Progressives, in this way, become reactionary protecting the ideal and not the results or the practicality of that ideal.

But being a guy wracked with self-doubt, I wondered if there's some truth to what they say. Possibly. But can we honestly say we wouldn't have roads or education without taxes? What they mean is public stuff. Taxes are just moneys taken confiscated from private individuals who create it.

Creation of wealth is something progressives simply can't seem to grasp. They think it's one guy raping another.

So I decided it's time to get into the story of taxes. To me, taxes are the most important, under appreciated aspect of civil society. To me, it's taxes that threaten us more than climate change or gun control.

I started with 'For good and evil: The impact of taxes on the course of civilization' by Charles Adams.

I'm sure I'll be quoting from it soon enough.