A Classy Society

Liberals often complain about inequalities in society and believe that government has a duty to equalize people. One method they use is a variable taxation system. Here is what DocBrain thinks a variable taxation system will produce:

• Done properly, there will be five classes of people: the root poor who no matter what is given to them will squander it on addicitions and be penniless; the average Joe with a low but predictable income; the aristocracy (those with massive amounts of money that no taxation system can ever completely deplete and those with fame or glamour to fuel their wealth); the intelligensia (those in universities and think-tanks who will see themselves as superior to the others but have no greater wealth than the average Joes); and the government leaders (who will have power and wealth).
• What will life be like for the average Joe? No car (gasoline taxes will place driving nearly out of reach; public transportation only); public schools to indoctrinate our children to whatever the leaders want (no discretionary income for private schooling and promotion based not so much on academic achievement as on policies that maintain equality at the expense of quality); less moral conflict with government policies, due to smaller and weaker religious organizations (with no money to tithe, the only religious organizations that will survive will be those funded by the government or aristocracy); with no premium on hard work, people will do less and progress will slow. You get the picture.
• What will be missing will be the middle class: the small business owners, the higher achieving employees, the professional class workers. They will be absorbed into the average Joe group. It is generally from the middle class that new ideas and conflict with the status quo arises. With the voice of the middle class silenced, the government will reign supreme.

There is no data supporting the belief that altruism is sustainable. It is not likely that those who rule would remain dedicated to the best interests of the people rather than their own. If one follows the logical outcome of a progressive taxation system, its outcome does not seem to be in our best interest. One need only look back at the explosion of growth our country has experienced in the last 40 years since the progressive income tax has been somewhat tamed. Initially, the swing was to self-interest, but that is not sustainable either. The enlightened self interest (attainable rewards for individual effort enlightened by moral codes and beliefs) is the one way to produce a sustainable society. And that requires a middle class.