獨立之路
很多年以前，一位晚輩問我我生活中最重要的是什麽，我不假思索的回答了”獨立“。經濟獨立雖然是獨立這個大課題的一方麵，卻是很重要的一方麵。我的博客，就從它開始。
正文
If one studies the US history in taxation, he or she would quickly realize the US has no formal income tax until 16th amendment. In fact, there was no need for the federal government to collect income tax until the civil war. One of Lincoln's impact on US history is the dramatic increasing of power of federal government over individual state government. We know in the USA, power is expressed by money. The more tax the federal government collects, the more power it has.
In the US, there is on going debate about federal and state power. I prefer weaker federal government because of one simple reason: I can know everyone of my city council but I cannot know everyone of US congress or senate. I know a lot more about my Mayor than I know the US president. My opinion actually matters to my local politicians or at least they bother to pretend. I can actually see democracy at work in my local government but I seriously doubt democracy exists in the federal government. Although the merit of different forms of government is a discussion of an entire different day, as a human being to demand my opinions matter on how the rules apply to me is made is not too much to ask. As a tax payer, to demand to have influence on how my money is being spend is only natural.
The larger the government, the less influence individual can have on the government. Therefore, I am against remote government and large government. I am against shifting power of sales tax collection from individual state to Federal. Also, a new revenue method for the federal government is an inevitable pass to more tax collected by the federal government.
I do not wish to be an alarmist by saying US is in the dangerous route to an Empire and Oligarchy. But it is a possibility, no matter how small it looks today. I think everybody on this forum knows what an Oligarchy government can do to individual freedom. I remember once we have discussed the benefit of living in this country comparing to the old one. My opinion was individual freedom is the most important benefit of living in this country. If we give up individual freedom, there is no point of living here.
In the US, there is on going debate about federal and state power. I prefer weaker federal government because of one simple reason: I can know everyone of my city council but I cannot know everyone of US congress or senate. I know a lot more about my Mayor than I know the US president. My opinion actually matters to my local politicians or at least they bother to pretend. I can actually see democracy at work in my local government but I seriously doubt democracy exists in the federal government. Although the merit of different forms of government is a discussion of an entire different day, as a human being to demand my opinions matter on how the rules apply to me is made is not too much to ask. As a tax payer, to demand to have influence on how my money is being spend is only natural.
The larger the government, the less influence individual can have on the government. Therefore, I am against remote government and large government. I am against shifting power of sales tax collection from individual state to Federal. Also, a new revenue method for the federal government is an inevitable pass to more tax collected by the federal government.
I do not wish to be an alarmist by saying US is in the dangerous route to an Empire and Oligarchy. But it is a possibility, no matter how small it looks today. I think everybody on this forum knows what an Oligarchy government can do to individual freedom. I remember once we have discussed the benefit of living in this country comparing to the old one. My opinion was individual freedom is the most important benefit of living in this country. If we give up individual freedom, there is no point of living here.
你如果研究一下美國稅收的曆史，你會很快意識到，美國在憲法第16修正案前，沒有所得稅。事實上， 在美國內戰之前，美國聯邦政府沒有收取所得稅的必要。林肯對美國曆史最大的影響就是增加聯邦政府對於各州政府的權利。我們知道，在美國，權的表達方式是錢。聯邦政府收的稅越多，權力就越大。
在美國，有關聯邦和各州權力的爭論永遠討論不完。我更喜歡，比較弱聯邦政府，原因很簡單：我對我們市議會的每個議員都有所了解，但我對美國國會參議員或眾議員了解很少，少到連姓名都記不全。我對我的市長的了解遠遠多餘我對美國總統的了解。我們本地政客願意聽我的意見，或至少他們願意花功夫去假裝聽我的意見。我在我的當地政府的運作中看得到民主的力量，但我懷疑聯邦政府的民主輪得到我。雖然不同形式的政府的好壞處是天天討論也討論不完的，作為一個人要求對於我有關的法律的製定有發言權，不是過分的要求。作為一名納稅人，要求對我的錢怎麽花有很影響力是正常的。
的政府越大，個人對政府的影響就越小。因此，我反對遠程政府和大型政府。我反對把營業稅征收權從各州轉移到聯邦。此外，聯邦政府有新的收入方式必然導致聯邦政府收取更多的稅收。
我不想危言聳聽說美國正在向帝國和寡頭政府發展。但即使是小可能性，也說明這個可能性是存在的。我想這裏每個人都知道什麽是寡頭政府，它能對個人自由做什麽。我記得有一次，我們在這裏討論生活在這個國家和故國相比的好處。我的觀點是個人自由是生活在這個國家的最重要的好處。如果我們放棄個人自由，留在這個國家還有多少意思呢？
評論
小二哥李白
2015-10-23 19:02:53
回複
悄悄話
有意思的討論。。。
海泠
2015-04-02 07:46:35
回複
悄悄話
exactly.
溫馨秋月
2015-04-02 07:22:46
回複
悄悄話
Unfortunately, the US "is in the dangerous route to an Empire and Oligarchy" and already get supports on its way, especially people who came from the countries with no democracy. What puzzles me is that the people who escaped from those countries are pushing America to become one of those countries and governments.
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