The first point made in the Declaration of Independece is about consent: “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” They go on to say they have the right to “throw off” a Despot. It goes on for quite some time outlining the despotic actions of King George.

But also, early on, it claims that a government is supposed to be “laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

In this statement, it leaves it open for the People to decide how the government can effect their safety and happiness. (Not just safety.) As a society, we are charged with continually determining what we need from the government to best ensure our safety and happiness. There is room here for this to evolve. As Potter stated, our founders at first thought it best to have the government enforce the ideals of slavery. I’m glad we’ve moved on from there. It makes sense that we would also look at ways to ameliorate the sufferings of our citizens, since we are supposed to be considering how our government can effect the safety and happiness of everyone. Those with more resources – financial, health and emotional (which can directly effect the body’s physical makeup and a person’s ability to function healthfully) need less from the government, those with fewer resources need more help.

It also makes sense that, as a society, we will eternally wrangle over where the lines are drawn. But the Declaration of our founders is pretty clear. They are not upset over the concept of taxation. They are upset over the abuse of the King and his unwillingness to provide for their safety and happiness.

Please be so good as to concede as well that this country fought a revolution, not to be relieved of taxation ( paying for their government), but to HAVE a government of their own, for citizenship in it, for representation, which meant independence.

Thanks.

That’s true… on so many levels. We started out being free to make our own liquor, grow what we liked, and to move Westward with impunity (and to buy & sell human workers, & some other less savory social options). We have come a long ways… and discovered that the physical “freedoms” we once had became conflict zones between “free” individuals- and that government became an arbitrating force. We also felt, in general, that roads should be a common concern (not just a private one)… and that schools should be inclusive-and paid for by those who were taxed (land-owners, mostly… males who also had the right to vote). Many changes… with a general tendency to favor the greatest number with what was considered the greatest good, at the time… I don’t imagine that the early founders of our country really saw a continent-wide settlement of 300 million people, or could have embraced wars with people halfway ’round the world with whom we shared no language, few customs, and virtually no physical contact (other than that encountered by the armed forces that we sent to those places). Lots of things have changed… and I’d certainly embrace a return to a number of the beliefs held by the early Americans… though not all. ^..^

What we have now is a far cry from what was originally envisioned.

The founders of our country conceived of taxes as part of a citizen’s duty and responsibility so that the elected government could promote and provide for the general welfare. Says so in the Constitution…..

Of those who greatly influenced our founding fathers, those who wrote the Constitution by which we live together,ratified by all states:

John Locke said:

‘Tis true that governments cannot be supported without great charge, and it is fit everyone who enjoys a share of protection should pay out of his estate his proportion of the maintenance of it.

and this:

The subjects of every state ought to contribute toward the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state ….[As Henry Home (Lord Kames) has written, a goal of taxation should be to] “remedy inequality of riches as much as possible, by relieving the poor and burdening the rich.”

Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, 1776