Fairness: A Matter of Perspective

Fairness is a virtue of Americans, but also a tool of deception of politicians.  In the context of political correctness, fairness has been twisted and morphed into an idea that shames success.  Equal opportunity is no longer “fair”, it is equal outcome that has become its basis.  The playing field may be fair, but because some succeed more so than others, somehow this has become unfair.

Why is the CEO shamed for making more money than the mailroom boy?  Both are doing different jobs, and therefore will receive different pay.  But we are told the CEO’s pay is excessive; so politicians purport that the CEO should be taxed more.  No one thinks of the “rich” man who must give 55% of his income to the government.  But notice, he is a minor partner in his own earnings.  How is this fair?  For all the debasing of the rich, the top 10% of taxpayers pay about 70% of total federal income taxes.

But taxation is a form of slavery at worst and indentured servitude at best, as government coercively takes from a person’s work.  As such, taxation must be done ever so sparingly and with the highest regard to the result of the intended purpose.  However, government treats taxpayer money as trash and, according to its own auditor the GAO, over $100 billion per year is spent in “inappropriate” payments – and this does not include duplication and waste.

Equality of opportunity should be the limit of good government, while equality of outcome is the achievement of tyranny.  Many people see the tax code as “unfair”, giving the rich tax breaks and leaving the middle and lower classes out to dry.  But note, that the poor get paid for not paying taxes and the 40% of taxpayers that form the “middle class” pay some 30% of total federal income tax.

So when Americans say that they want a “fair” tax code, what does that really mean?  We propose that it should mean a tax code that takes the same percent from all.   That percentage should be a minority of one’s total earnings and only to be used for the operations of the government within its constitutional limits and with the greatest trust to the efficiency and effectiveness of the spending.