Paul Craig Roberts Quote

According to the Tax Foundation, the average American worker works 127 days of the year just to pay his taxes. That means that government owns 36 percent of the average American’s output—which is more than feudal serfs owed the robber barons. That 36 percent is more than the average American spends on food, clothing and housing. In other words, if it were not for taxes, the average American’s living standard would at least double.

by:	Paul Craig Roberts (1939- ) Economist, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan Administration ("Father of Reaganomics"), former editor and columnist for the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and Scripps Howard News Service.
Source:	Taxes take enormous toll on America, THE CONSERVATIVE CHRONICLE p. 21, May 1, 1996
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Categories:	Government, Labor, Oppression, Taxation
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-- Kevin Brandl, Fort St John
-- J Allen, Arlington, VA
... and we'd have no roads, no airports, no police force, no military, many would have no medical care, our aged would die of hunger & exposure... the list goes on. It is quotes like this one which make it clear that the so called conservative movement really does desire a return to robber barron/feudal times (and they are close to achieving it given the ever widening wealth gaps of today).  -- Anonymous, Reston, VA, US
Imagine if government were limited to it's Constitutional mandate. Imagine all the jobs created by private enterprise and entrepeneurs in general...roads, hospitals, schools and jobs. And the money people would have in their pockets for retirement after NOT being tax raped all their lives to fund ridiculous socialist programs that have nothing whatever to do with Government's mandate. A flat tax on things like fuel would easily cover the cost of national defense and a court system of justice....if not for the ant hill mentality of socialists and their need for a "mommy" throughout their pathetic lives.  -- J Carlton, Calgary
Reston, I agree, but most of that goes to pay our military and bureaucracy and for that reason I'll give it four stars. We are being raped not by our taxes but by the corporate and military complex. Carlton, whats pathetic is your argument as it it no true bearing on reality just on your opinion of reality. If you think that a flat tax on gas would cover the cost of out military and court system then you really need to do you economics one on one. Now, if you did a flat tax across the board on gross income of say 17% (no exemption) that would most definitely cover our national expenses as long as we reduce the military budget by 50% - I see they are already asking for an increase in their military budget - what absolute lunacy.  -- RBESRQ
To RBESRQ and Reston... there is no way to show blind socialists anything that doesn't fit within their myopic poiunt of view. I simply don't have tiome to write a book here to educate you...which you would pay no attention to anyway because tyou are of the sheep mentality and simply choose to be babysat and told what to do all of your lives. Of course it takes more than "just" a tax on fuel. BUT...everything outside of the 3 basic tasks mandated for Government would easily be put in place through private enterprise...just because your limted imaginations don't allow for it doesn't mean it wouldn't work. You Cancerous Socialists absolutely have to be eradicated by whatever means necessary if we are to survive as a nation.  -- J Carlton, Calgary
READ THE DIRECTIONS: (It's called the Constitution of the United States)  -- K.Taylor, NorCal- USA
Interesting, up until the New Deal, America was the most prosperous country in the world. The Great Depression was caused by the very banking system we have today. We had roads, industry, hospitals, police, armed forces. Look, it does not take millions of police/military forces to protect We the People from themselves. When the People had their sovereign powers in their own hands, they fared much better than when we surrendered those powers to government. Gas taxes have traditionally covered all expenses for building roads -- and they are paid by those that use those roads. It is the money system that is sucking the lifeblood from the nation -- the interest alone is all our income taxes will cover. We remain in perpetual debt -- and the 'problems' of society are still not solved, and our runaway government keeps borrowing more on the backs of the next generation. We simply do not need this much government and control -- and the fiat money system is absolutely designed to funnel to the banks and the corporations that rise up around them ALL of our wealth and property. DO THE MATH.  -- E Archer, NYC
This came to be with "the act of 1871" & "the federal reserve act" of 1913 not the Constitution. Google it & you'll see what I mean.  -- Howard, Harbor City, Ca.
Carlton, you must have been looking in a mirror when you wrote this. It's right-wing fascists like you that are the cause of the mess we are in. And when it has totally sunk into the mire you will be screaming for help and yes it will be us Liberals who will throw you the rope. Quite the reverse of your way of thinking - sad, really sad....  -- RBESRQ
RBESRQ, "right wing facists like you are the cause of the mess we are in." You mean people that care about what the United States Constitution says? People that know liberty comes with responsibility? People that instead of waiting for a government hand-out, work for their daily bread? People like Washington, Jefferson, and Madison that stood up against repressive taxes and an overbearing government to establish the land of liberty and justice? If that is a right-wing fascist than I am honored to be considered among them. We were here when this nation was founded and we were here when this country was its strongest. So we are not the problem, it is you liberals that twist and ignore the text of the Constitution and propogate your socialist principles with promises of spreading the wealth from those who worked for it to those who have not. You are the problem. And yes it is sad, really sad. I am ashamed that you socialists consider yourselves to be my fellow countrymen. I pray that posterity forgets you ever existed.  -- Publius, USA
The aggregate taxation of the middle class far exceeds 36%. Social Security & Medicare alone is 16.3%. Don't bother telling me the employer pays half. The entire 16.3% is a PRODUCT OF THE EMPLOYEES LABOR. Now add Fed Income tax, state income or personal property taxes, land tax, school tax, utility taxes, excise taxes, sales tax and remember the hidden embedded taxes in every product and service you buy. 60% of household income paid in taxes is more accurate.  -- Tom, PV
WHAT A BLAST ALL THESE COMMENTS ARE. MOST LIKELY THOSE WHO HAVE LITTLE OR NOTHING WANT MORE OF ONE'S WORK AND SWEAT. SURE YOU NEED TAXES FOR THAT. HOWEVER, SUCH BROUGHT DOWN EMPIRES OF THE PAST. TAKING AND GIVING IS NOT THE WAY! YES, THE CONSTITUTION DEFINES WHAT IS TAXABLE AND WHO TAXES. IF YOU WANT TO SEE A REVOLUTION, JUST HAVE CONGRESS PASS THE FAIR TAX. WHEN THE PEOPLE SEE HOW MUCH ,WHAT THEN? THE ABOVE QUOTES BLAMES THE WRONG PARTY. PLEASE LOOK AT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY FOR MOST OF BLAME., STARTING WITH THE PASSING OF THE INCOME TAX AMENDMENT OF YESTERYEAR, FDR'S NEW DEAL, LBJ'S GREAT SOCIETY, STEALING THE SOCIAL SECURITY FUND, SUPREME COURT LEGISLATING. IT GOES ON AND ON. JUST REMEMBER, EMPIRES RISE AND THEN FALL UNDER IT'S OWN WEIGHT.  -- GOOSEY, ATLANTA
It is easy to consider our well being when you remove the robber. But how to restore our economic liberty to the common man ? Meanwhile the stage behind the curtain is almost set for the final act.  -- Ron, Salem

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