Quit Whining and Pay Your Taxes

None of the Americans who have risen to positions of wealth and power did so purely on their own merit, as most of them (and the Republican Party) like to believe. The rugged individual who alone takes care of himself hasn't existed since frontier days except in fiction and in the minds of those who rationalize their positions of privilege.

Had today's rich been born into poverty in a third world kleptocracy, their considerable potential would have gone for little. No, wealthy Americans gained their wealth because they were a part of the wealthiest nation in the history of nations. The American rich are part of a society with an infrastructure that supports the development of their abilities and utilizes them once developed; with a transportation system that moves goods and people efficiently; a medical system that keeps the general population healthy and an education system that imparts the skills, knowledge and talents of previous generations to the next, to those who will be employees and customers of the businesses run by the rich and powerful.

The people who rail against the lazy, who think they made it on their own, benefited from a society with an education system that valued learning, that prepared the general society to be the engineers, mechanics, tradesmen, clerks, secretaries and teachers who ensured that America worked for the benefit of all. They benefited from a powerful military that protected society's interests.

Since America contributed so much to their wealth, the rich have an obligation to return a fair measure of that wealth to society. They owe the nation their taxes under a progressive system without whining. Some individuals understand and accept that obligation, others do not. History has certainly proven that philanthropy alone does not ensure the continuation of a society's wealth. Indeed, without a middle class that bridges the gap between rich and poor, a society cannot prosper. A progressive tax system serves that purpose. Greed and pure lassaiz faire capitalism will only ensure the eventual destruction of a society as the poor eventually rebel against the prosperous.

So why am I a Liberal Democrat? The Republican Party does not willingly support those government activities that help ensure the continuation of a wealthy society, the society that helped produce their own wealth. Republicans today rail against government in general instead of against bad government. They complain about government regulation as if corporations have the interests of the public, instead of their stockholders, at heart; as if Pacific Gas and Electric didn't dump hexavalent chrome from their California water cooling towers, poisoning their neighbors and then lying about it; as if coal companies would voluntarily spend money on safety and environmental measures.

This nation NEEDS good government just as a football game needs good referees. If Republicans quit whining about high taxes, start supporting good government instead of griping about all government, start respecting fiscally responsible tax and spending policies then this nation can continue to flourish.