beenthere: you obviously haven’t. Westward expansion happened because government bought the land or took it in wars, and gave it out to the people. Government minted the money they used for exchange, and paid the cost of building the railroads by giving them even more of that land. Edison was protected in making lots of money because “government” granted him patents under the constitution that he could, and did, sell to make money without others stealing his intellectual property. No population in history has gained so much from government as the United States, and today those same “beneficiaries” are unwilling to give anything back- THAT is NOT the “great American spirit” or dream. Taxes not only provide us protection and infrastructure, but also the safety and economic basis for MAKING money, paying a slight amount more for a HUGE amount of wealth isn’t punitive, it’s responsible.
beenthere: you obviously haven’t. Westward expansion happened because government bought the land or took it in wars, and gave it out to the people. Government minted the money they used for exchange, and paid the cost of building the railroads by giving them even more of that land. Edison was protected in making lots of money because “government” granted him patents under the constitution that he could, and did, sell to make money without others stealing his intellectual property. No population in history has gained so much from government as the United States, and today those same “beneficiaries” are unwilling to give anything back- THAT is NOT the “great American spirit” or dream. Taxes not only provide us protection and infrastructure, but also the safety and economic basis for MAKING money, paying a slight amount more for a HUGE amount of wealth isn’t punitive, it’s responsible.