Stealing is Bad
Most of us teach our children that they shouldn't take something that doesn't belong to them. We tell them that stealing is wrong. We might even tell them that, if they steal, they will be punished. Grownups who steal go to jail. This is true in most cultures all over the world. It's a basic truth, according to most human beings.
If all of that is true and most people understand that stealing is wrong, then why do we allow our governments to steal from us? Make no mistake, that is exactly what they do. They do it under the name of 'taxation'. They claim that these taxes are for 'the good of the many'. If we don't pay our taxes, we go to jail. However, I never said it was okay for them to take 50% of my money. Doesn't that mean that my money is being taken by force? If someone's money or personal property is taken by force, isn't that stealing? If you're not sure, the answer is YES.
Now, they will tell you that our taxes are used to benefit everyone. They will tell you that our government needs to help those who can't help themselves. This doesn't make it okay. Stealing for a 'good' reason, is still stealing. Oh, and by the way, there aren't any GOOD reasons to steal. If I went next door and stole things from my neighbor, but then gave it to someone in need, I would go to jail. If the government does it, they are just doing their jobs? WHAT? Seriously?
This does not, in any way, pass the headline test:
Government Steals Money From Hardworking People to Give to Those Who Produce Nothing
Why would anyone agree to be a part of that system? I'll tell you why. Guilt and Fear. Those are the tools used by government to keep us in line. We should feel guilty for working hard and making more money than someone else. We should be afraid that one day we might not be able to support ourselves. There have to be safety nets in place. Wrong, wrong and wrong.
We should be proud of the fact that we can make money and take care of our own families. We should save our money so that we can be our own safety net, when age, illness or job loss make us unable to continue to produce. If we choose not to do those things, no one else should be made to pick up the slack.
Now, some of you might say, 'But, Elise, you don't make any money as a Full-time mom, so you are financially supported by your husband. How can you say that people have to be financially responsible for themselves, when you yourself are not?' Good question. The answer is very simple. My husband is not being forced to support me. He wanted me to stay home and raise our children as much as I did. He chooses to support our family financially so that I can teach our children how to be productive members of society. He understands the tremendous value in that. He also knows that we are saving money because we don't send our kids to daycare. I prepare our meals at home so that we don't have to go to restaurants. I don't have to drive much, so we save money on gas. I don't need a cleaning lady, because I do it myself. I don't need to buy professional clothing. We don't have to pay doctors very often because my kids don't get every little sickness from the kids at daycare. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the idea. When you add it all up, it makes financial sense. Then there are the other values I provide that cannot be summed up in a monetary amount. They are priceless. Not to mention that I've paid more than my fair share of taxes. I've only been a full-time mom for four years. I had a 'real job' for twelve years before deciding to stay home and do the most important job I could ever do.
However, all of that personal information is really irrelevant. It doesn't change the fact that stealing is wrong. It doesn't matter how someone got their money, as long as it wasn't illegal. Whether people get paid for doing a job, making a product or providing a service, doesn't matter. If they win the lottery or inherit millions, it doesn't matter. That money belongs to them. We should all be free to choose how we spend our money. Rich people don't owe anyone anything. Their money should be theirs to keep, just as someone who is barely scraping by should get to keep his money.
Taxes should truly only be used for the military and the court system and those should be sales taxes, not income tax. That's all our government should get from us. If that were the case, we would have more of our hard-earned money to use as we see fit. That is the only way to have a fair system. Giving to people who are parasites on our society, is not fair. All it has done is encourage people to be dependent on the government. Entitlement grows and festers. It's taking over. It's dangerous. It's wrong. It has to stop.
These aren't new ideas. Many political philosophies view taxation as theft. Objectivists firmly believe this. I would run for office, if anyone would vote for me. Better yet, I would vote for my husband. He'd make an amazing President. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) no one would vote for him, either. So, I write my blog. It makes me feel better, even though I know it won't change many minds, if any.
If all of that is true and most people understand that stealing is wrong, then why do we allow our governments to steal from us? Make no mistake, that is exactly what they do. They do it under the name of 'taxation'. They claim that these taxes are for 'the good of the many'. If we don't pay our taxes, we go to jail. However, I never said it was okay for them to take 50% of my money. Doesn't that mean that my money is being taken by force? If someone's money or personal property is taken by force, isn't that stealing? If you're not sure, the answer is YES.
Now, they will tell you that our taxes are used to benefit everyone. They will tell you that our government needs to help those who can't help themselves. This doesn't make it okay. Stealing for a 'good' reason, is still stealing. Oh, and by the way, there aren't any GOOD reasons to steal. If I went next door and stole things from my neighbor, but then gave it to someone in need, I would go to jail. If the government does it, they are just doing their jobs? WHAT? Seriously?
This does not, in any way, pass the headline test:
Government Steals Money From Hardworking People to Give to Those Who Produce Nothing
Why would anyone agree to be a part of that system? I'll tell you why. Guilt and Fear. Those are the tools used by government to keep us in line. We should feel guilty for working hard and making more money than someone else. We should be afraid that one day we might not be able to support ourselves. There have to be safety nets in place. Wrong, wrong and wrong.
We should be proud of the fact that we can make money and take care of our own families. We should save our money so that we can be our own safety net, when age, illness or job loss make us unable to continue to produce. If we choose not to do those things, no one else should be made to pick up the slack.
Now, some of you might say, 'But, Elise, you don't make any money as a Full-time mom, so you are financially supported by your husband. How can you say that people have to be financially responsible for themselves, when you yourself are not?' Good question. The answer is very simple. My husband is not being forced to support me. He wanted me to stay home and raise our children as much as I did. He chooses to support our family financially so that I can teach our children how to be productive members of society. He understands the tremendous value in that. He also knows that we are saving money because we don't send our kids to daycare. I prepare our meals at home so that we don't have to go to restaurants. I don't have to drive much, so we save money on gas. I don't need a cleaning lady, because I do it myself. I don't need to buy professional clothing. We don't have to pay doctors very often because my kids don't get every little sickness from the kids at daycare. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the idea. When you add it all up, it makes financial sense. Then there are the other values I provide that cannot be summed up in a monetary amount. They are priceless. Not to mention that I've paid more than my fair share of taxes. I've only been a full-time mom for four years. I had a 'real job' for twelve years before deciding to stay home and do the most important job I could ever do.
However, all of that personal information is really irrelevant. It doesn't change the fact that stealing is wrong. It doesn't matter how someone got their money, as long as it wasn't illegal. Whether people get paid for doing a job, making a product or providing a service, doesn't matter. If they win the lottery or inherit millions, it doesn't matter. That money belongs to them. We should all be free to choose how we spend our money. Rich people don't owe anyone anything. Their money should be theirs to keep, just as someone who is barely scraping by should get to keep his money.
Taxes should truly only be used for the military and the court system and those should be sales taxes, not income tax. That's all our government should get from us. If that were the case, we would have more of our hard-earned money to use as we see fit. That is the only way to have a fair system. Giving to people who are parasites on our society, is not fair. All it has done is encourage people to be dependent on the government. Entitlement grows and festers. It's taking over. It's dangerous. It's wrong. It has to stop.
These aren't new ideas. Many political philosophies view taxation as theft. Objectivists firmly believe this. I would run for office, if anyone would vote for me. Better yet, I would vote for my husband. He'd make an amazing President. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) no one would vote for him, either. So, I write my blog. It makes me feel better, even though I know it won't change many minds, if any.
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