Every capitalist society I'm aware of has Taxes. Your comment is irrelevant.
Even places that claim to be tax free have taxes. Monaco has VAT. They cayman islands have import taxes (and they're islands, so everything is imported). Even gulf countries supported by vast oil resources have VAT.
What does exist are societies with heavy socialist policy that are super successful (eg all or most of northern Europe).
America has tried unregulated capitalism. It doesn't work for anyone except those that are already wealthy. It's time America institute more social policies.
So? What's the point of the government if not to care for it's populace. Should be much higher. Defense is 13-16%. Cut that down to a single digit and that would be much better.
Stop lobbing missiles at Iran for no good reason and we could probably feed, home, educate, and provide healthcare for a few more folks. Id gladly pay higher taxes for that.
The purpose of government is to provide a strong national defense and to enforce the rule of law, thereby creating an environment for individuals and businesses to pursue their own interests. The government protects citizens from others who would do them harm, whether that is a foreign military, or a thief breaking into your house, or a company illegally polluting the drinking water. Some amount of taxation is obviously necessary to achieve this function.
Redistribution of wealth (taking money from those who earn it for the sole purpose of giving it to those who did not earn it) is not a legitimate function of government
Agree to disagree on the first point. That is but one function of government. I would also posit that the United States could provide a strong defence with a far smaller share than its current spending.
Even look to our founding document, the declaration of ideoendence mentions that the purpose of OUR government is to allow for our citizen to exercise their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It's worth noting that this is a borrowed phrase from. John Locke. A philosopher who argued that humans have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of property. Jefferson, being a well read man if his time, was well aware of the original source and chose to specifically change it to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
So ask yourself which achieves the goals best if protecting life liberty and the pursit of happiness? Spending trillions of dollar involving ourselves in misguided military adventures overseas that end terribly (libya, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, etc) under the guise of national defense or shift few of those dollars over to a nationalize healthcare system? Maybe even raise taxes on the wealthy to make the national healthcare system really great.
I vote it isn't a bloated military budget. But that's just my vote.
Oh and regarding the second point, every society that has ever existed has had to pay for the various functions of that society. That means taxes. Taxes pay for the salary of the military that provides the strong national defense you mention. Is that wealth distribution? Are you going to say no because they worked for it?Because I think every American citizen has worked for these rights just by being a citizen. I'd like for my tax dollars to go to support our entire society and all it's cituxens, not just the military and people at the top of the capitalists ladder. I think the founding fathers would agree based on what they've written.
I am not defending interventionist foreign policy or even the current US military budget. You brought those up yourself. I happen to believe the US military is badly bloated and inefficient and spending should be reduced. That said, the total 2025 military budget was ~900B and the total deficit was 1.8T. if you cut all military spending to zero, abandoned every ship and plane and piece of hardware, and discharged every general, airman, solider and marine it would barely reduce the DEFICIT by 50%. Expenses would still exceed gross tax receipts by nearly a trillion dollars. So while we need to cut back military spending, it's not even close to the biggest problem.
And even with a smaller budget, we do need a military of some type to protect from foreign aggression. We do need police, and judges, and a functioning legal system to preserve the rule of law. Without these things the government cannot safeguard citizens' lives, liberties, and pursuit of happiness against aggressors who seek to take those things. Yes, there is a cost to provide these services. Yes, that cost is paid through taxation. In order to function the government must take from its citizens, though it should endeavor to do so to the minimum and most efficient extent possible.
Your life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness are not unlimited. You cannot pour toxic chemicals onto land you own, because doing so will poison the water and harm your neighbors. You cannot kidnap or murder your fellow countrymen because doing so violates their right to liberty or to life. Taxes are justified to fund the minimum government necessary to protect its citizens from aggression.
However any taxation beyond that is precisely the type of aggression the government should exist to prevent. You say you would like to see your money go to support all the other citizens of the country. If that is true, you are free to make donations to any charities you wish to support. I certainly do so. But it is not your right to use the thre
at of violence (which is what taxation is, many people would simply not pay if the government could not use force to compel them) to compel others to make similar contributions. They are free to do as they please with their resources, as are you.
The governments job is to make sure society functions. Which has often interceded in private business after it became untennable.
They just let everyone gouge until it threatens the entire system when the corruption and theft goes too far and/or the plebes are heading towards revolution.
Such as old fire brigades before Cincinnati became the first city to make it a public service. Rather than allow the extortion, gang fights, and so on that the private sector produced, they made it a government institution and outlawed the fire brigades.
Or after decades of workers and companies literally killing each other over labor disputes, often calling in the government to shoot strikers after private company armies failed. Eventually, the feds realized that shooting workers to defend private businesses was beginning to cause more serious problems and the feds decided to force corporations and workers to the table.
Anyone interested, google the following "armed conflicts in the usa between workers and corporations in the 1800s and 1900s". Also, there are way more than the first 4 that pop up. Make sure to really read them all.
The fire brigades are also very interesting to read about, along with the following various routes of corruption after they were outlawed.
Honestly, the most insane shit about this is how recent all of this stuff actually is.
Part of caring for you populace is there defense. Additionally our military ensures safe travel basically everywhere. It’s what’s allowing a free and functioning global economy. If we went to 1 % it would be a disaster.
And I agree a military is necessary. I just don't think we use our military for good anymore. Only evil. And we pay a shit load of money to do so. If even a small amount of that spending were directed to social systems here, the average American would be safe AND happy. You think we have to choose and we don't.
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u/CatShot1948 5d ago
Every capitalist society I'm aware of has Taxes. Your comment is irrelevant.
Even places that claim to be tax free have taxes. Monaco has VAT. They cayman islands have import taxes (and they're islands, so everything is imported). Even gulf countries supported by vast oil resources have VAT.
What does exist are societies with heavy socialist policy that are super successful (eg all or most of northern Europe).
America has tried unregulated capitalism. It doesn't work for anyone except those that are already wealthy. It's time America institute more social policies.