Yesterday on the radio, on multiple sources, and today on the internet- I have been treated with statements similar to this.

“Did you know that the 60 Percent of people who don’t pay taxes, still vote. They are voting themselves benefits, and this is how the country falls apart!”

Simple minds must be very careful when using sharp things like numbers- one must be very careful not to hurt oneself. The implication, of course, is that unless you are “paying your fair share” you have no right to participate in government. Lets attack this statement, shall we?

Firstly, I am not going to attempt to validate it. I will take it as granted for the sake of this argument. We will not concern ourselves with young people, elderly on fixed incomes, etc. We will assume that the majority of voters are people making less than the minimum amount of money for the purposes of calculating Federal Income Tax.

Secondly, it is kind of sick to use paying taxes as some sort of badge of honor. Americans aren’t supposed to like paying taxes.

Thirdly, if you look at wealth distribution in the country 80% of people are fighting over 8.8% of taxable wealth. The top 1% controls 39.7%. The next 19% of people control 51.5%. Saying that most voters don’t pay taxes is another way of saying most voters are on or near the poverty line.

Fourthly, the statement implies that only people who pay taxes should vote. Everyone pays gas tax, sales tax, and of course the hidden tax of inflation. Many of these working poor are veterens, mothers and fathers, and struggling seniors. Does it really benefit us to disenfranchise all nonwealthy elements of our society?

Lastly, a further implication of the statement is that we are edging to socialism due to the lower classes voting themselves handouts from the rich. This line of thinking will inspire a littany against the current administration and its socialist, neomarxist, communist underpinnings.Friends, there is a name for this style of government and it isn’t socialism. Socialism is not the government giving billions of loans to failed auto industries, saving a few jobs- but mostly protecting billionaires. Socialism is not the government injecting trillions into financial markets to keep corrupt banks loaning to the population at oppressive interest rates. Socialism is not issuing bonds against our future to pay for failed policies today.If it were socialism, the wealth of the upper class would be distributed to the people in monthly government checks. This is not the case.

This is not socialism, funding the rich at the further expense of the poor. This is facism- corporatism or cronyism if you feel facism is too strong a word.

Still trying to get more details, though it seems the children are back with their parents.

A woman dropped off a few rolls of film which included a picture of her breastfeeding, and some bath time pictures. The photo clerk noticed and was suspicious. Because of a new law passed, the employee had to contact authorities. He would be charged with a Good Samaritan crime if he did not act. The police took the children and raided the home. Follow the link to read more, from the Dallas Observer.

http://www.dallasobserver.com/2003-04-17/news/1-hour-arrest/

Who is laughing now?