Values and Reality

["Michael L. Coburn" <michel.l.coburn@gte.net>]

There are 2 and possibly 3 segments of any society which must
be cared for by the productive members of the society lest the
society (indeed the entire race) perish.  The first to come to
mind are the children who are not accountable for their existence
and without our support would perish most swiftly.  The second
are the infirm and, if there are 3 segments it is only because
we count age as a special case of infirmity.  These too will
perish without the support of the producing members.

It is of little consequence whether the infirm are supported by
income they receive from stocks and bonds or from a tax.  In
either case the support they receive is added to the costs of
all goods consumed (i.e. in one case a bank or corporation col-
lects the tax and in the other the government collects it).  If
we observe that an elderly couple occupy a house they have
earned it is also to be observed that the supply of houses has
been diminished.  I DO NOT say this grudgingly or with any 
malice.  I do not pretend to know whether "earned" is even
relevant (though I admit to a bias in that direction).  The
desire for and availability of homes or corn is as it is.

Imagine if you will, a system in which the infirm are cared for
and in which the funds are appropriated based on consumption
taxes (levied at the point of origin using excise taxes) instead
of FICA or income tax.  It would be impossible to claim that any
person would not have paid his fair share of the premiums on such
a national social insurance policy.  There is no way any person
can stay alive without consuming, and so there can be NO argument
over who paid and who didn't.  More importantly there can be no
argument over how much was paid.  Gluttons PAY MORE and it is
because of these people that we have no trees left to make houses
with.  If you save all your dough then you won't be paying much
and, of course, you won't need to collect on the means tested
insurance benefits anyway.  You will either perish from not
consuming or you will be investing all of your "disposable"
income so as to let the corporations and the banks do the taxing.

Its all pretty straight forward when you get rid of the ant and
grasshopper stuff.  People will invest if you tax consumption. 
We don't need the government to decide what we should invest in,
and if we do then the government should use the funds it derives
from our consumption/waste of current resources.