the slipping slope of national sales tax

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.

你如果研究一下美国税收的历史，你会很快意识到，美国在宪法第16修正案前，没有所得税。事实上， 在美国内战之前，美国联邦政府没有收取所得税的必要。林肯对美国历史最大的影响就是增加联邦政府对于各州政府的权利。我们知道，在美国，权的表达方式是钱。联邦政府收的税越多，权力就越大。

 

在美国，有关联邦和各州权力的争论永远讨论不完。我更喜欢，比较弱联邦政府，原因很简单：我对我们市议会的每个议员都有所了解，但我对美国国会参议员或众议员了解很少，少到连姓名都记不全。我对我的市长的了解远远多余我对美国总统的了解。我们本地政客愿意听我的意见，或至少他们愿意花功夫去假装听我的意见。我在我的当地政府的运作中看得到民主的力量，但我怀疑联邦政府的民主轮得到我。虽然不同形式的政府的好坏处是天天讨论也讨论不完的，作为一个人要求对于我有关的法律的制定有发言权，不是过分的要求。作为一名纳税人，要求对我的钱怎么花有很影响力是正常的。

 

的政府越大，个人对政府的影响就越小。因此，我反对远程政府和大型政府。我反对把营业税征收权从各州转移到联邦。此外，联邦政府有新的收入方式必然导致联邦政府收取更多的税收。

 

我不想危言耸听说美国正在向帝国和寡头政府发展。但即使是小可能性，也说明这个可能性是存在的。我想这里每个人都知道什么是寡头政府，它能对个人自由做什么。我记得有一次，我们在这里讨论生活在这个国家和故国相比的好处。我的观点是个人自由是生活在这个国家的最重要的好处。如果我们放弃个人自由，留在这个国家还有多少意思呢？

[小二哥李白]

有意思的讨论。。。

[海泠]

exactly.

[温馨秋月]

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.