Monday, January 24, 2011

Only two things in life are certain, death and taxes

But taxes, unlike death, could be good for you. It's all in the attitude and living in a country run by adults. Southern Beale has an excellent post about an article in Inc. magazine on the effect of taxes on entrepreneurs and national attitudes in general in high tax socialist countries like Norway.
But don’t worry, America. You will never, ever have to suffer the slings and arrows of affordable healthcare, a clean environment, low unemployment, and a high standard of living like our Norwegian friends. That’s because we in America have been brainwashed for an entire generation into thinking certain things like taxes are a soul-crushing evil. Who needs taxes when we have our beloved Puritan work ethic, and “rags to riches” mythology, ammiright? The idea that America is the land of opportunity is as central to our national identity as the Stars and Stripes and National Anthem. Continually these national talismans prove to be worthless fairy tales, yet we cling to them because the idea that America is not the land of opportunity is just too painful to bear.

Norwegians have a completely different attitude toward taxes which I just can’t imagine flourishing in the United States. They don’t see it as a “punishment” the way some people, especially conservatives, do. Norwegians see taxes as an investment in their families and their country. Because they receive such high level of tangible services -- healthcare, pensions, free education (from preschool to college), robust family leave, etc. -- there’s an actual value.(my em) America never invested in itself in such a fashion; instead, what we get for our tax dollar is war.
The sweet sound of shibboleths shattering. Sadly, it took way more than 30 years to hammer the idea that taxes are bad into everybodys head. To reverse that idea and convince ourselves that we the people are worth investing in would take far longer than we currently have as a functioning nation.

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