Taxes are at their lowest levels since the 1950s. It’s a fact.

Who says I have no skin in the game? I simply don’t think that ensuring that more people pay more into the government black hole, rather than making EVERYONE pay less, is the path to economic health, fairness, or anything else worth having.

Publius, I never denied that there is an entitlement mentality or an entitlement problem. It’s lumping working people into the “entitlement” or “takers” pot simply because their income doesn’t rise high enough to owe taxes that I object to. Not paying income taxes is not necessarily “taking” anything, unless you’re of the leftist persuasion that dime one belongs to the government and every penny that you’re allowed to keep is by the grace of government and a “subsidy” of your family.

If one is saying these very elderly folks should get off their dependence on means-tested public assistance, I have a haunting two-word phrase that comes immediately to mind: death panels. The culture of life and the culture of bean-counting are not always in harmony, and sometimes are in deep dissonance. Our Lord had something to say about God’s bean-counting system being different than the one man prefers.

When one has no skin in the game, the outcome of the game doesn’t matter. Given that you have children, and they and their children are the ones going to get stuck with the tab we’re running, it should matter to you. It should matter very much.

The most important question of all for those defending the entitlement state: the national debt of the United States crossed the $16 trillion mark two weeks ago. How are we going to pay for this? Many of you defend this on the grounds of compassion — but is it compassionate to have our children and grandchildren pay for this crushing debt? Or will we stop the selfishness and admit that we cannot sustain this welfare state without dramatic changes. And by the way, taxing millionaires won’t dig us out of this entitlement hole.

Joe DeVet,

It’s also worth pointing out that it is largely Republican policies (Reagan and Bush tax cuts), the EIC, and increased deductions for children that are responsible for people falling below the threshold for paying income taxes. And note that the wealthy got tax cuts as well. Also, tax rates are historically low right now:

Federal, state and local income taxes consumed 9.2% of all personal income in 2009, the lowest rate since 1950, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reports. That rate is far below the historic average of 12% for the last half-century. The overall tax burden hit bottom in December at 8.8.% of income before rising slightly in the first three months of 2010.

It is also worth pointing out that since 1980, Americans, who seem to be so desperate to be dependent on the government, have elected Republican presidents for 20 out of the past 32 years. And with Obama the great redistributor of wealth being in office two years, the Republicans won back the House.

A few months ago the conventional wisdom was that this presidential election was the Republicans’ to lose, and if Romney keeps this up, he will lose. And if he does lose, it won’t be because greedy freeloaders were worried about losing their welfare checks.

Happily for everyone, Jimmy Carter’s unemployed grandson -the guy behind the tapes – has burped up a new “secret tape” that has theological implications as well as is a completely honest and refreshing remark from a serious politician in years as well as a complete contrast to the absolute failure of the current administration’s failed middle east policy:

“I look at the Palestinians not wanting to see peace anyway, for political purposes, committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel, and these thorny issues, and I say, ‘There’s just no way.’” — Mitt Romney

To add more to the conversation, here’s Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu taking on CNN’s Candy Crowley this past Sunday:

“There are legitimate, peaceful purposes for enriching this uranium,” said host Candy Crowley, speaking to why Iran’s activities are allowed under international agreements.
“You think so? You think so, Candy?” Netanyahu said. “That’s like Timothy McVeigh walking into a shop in Oklahoma City and saying, ‘I’d like to tend my garden. I’d like to buy some fertilizer.’ ‘How much do you want?’ ‘Oh, I don’t know, 20,000 pounds.’ Come on, we know that they’re working toward a weapon.”

It’s also worth pointing out, as other commenters have, that when something like half the voters can vote for higher taxes for others, we are in danger of killing the golden goose.

Obama gets praised in the press for his “concern” about the “middle class”, despite his mendacious charges about lack of “fairness”, and despite the fact that his “compassion” is accomplished with others’ money. Romney, by contrast, gets clobbered simply for pointing out the truth of the matter. The truth, which we have on good authority will set us free, is always the first casualty of political correctness.

If this is our culture as it has now evolved, then we will get (continue with) the leadership we deserve. Lying, corrupt and immoral.

That a Republican candidate now thinks it’s a problem that the lower middle class is exempt from confiscatory taxes is almost enough to make me hit the bottle.