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Given the current state of the United States, many of us will hope to fall into one of three likely generic-"wage-earning"-categories: (based on individual annual wages)
A) Working a job that we hate, with mandatory uncompensated overtime, for a number of bosses we don't respect, for a wage we're (likely) over-qualified to be settling for: let's say '< ~$50k' B) Working for a job we're willing to tolerate, with a reasonably expected number of hours, for a boss we may not respect but are 'able to deal with,' for an acceptable wage; let's say '~$50k < ~100k' C) Working a job we actually enjoy, for a boss that's quite reasonable, and an employment situation that appears to be workable for the next 30 years (or so, or more) of our lives: let's say '~$100k < ~$250k'
Now let's all face it: If you are not already born into a family who's annual income exceeds "~$250k a year," you probably won't ever have a chance to reach or exceed that goal
Now, given those assumptions, let's ask this question: Regardless of which 'income bracket' you hope to attain, or succeed in attaining, which of these options do you prefer? (Or which do you propose as viable options?)
I) You, and everyone else, pays no more than a flat 20% income-tax-rate to a government-based administration-system that provides "only the bare essentials," such as an active military, police protection and prisons. You are personally expected to provide for your own health care, fire-fighting protection, education, your own personal "safety net" (should you become unemployed), and any other services not already provided for profit by the private-sector, regardless of which stage of the economic ladder you fall into.
Or
II) You, and everyone else, pays around 50% income-tax-rate to a government-based administration-system that's able to fluctuate tax-rates based on societal needs that provides "only the bare essentials," such as universal health-insurance coverage, basic fire-fighting coverage, universal "pre-K-through-post-secondary" educational opportunities, unemployment assistance (temporary monetary assistance, job re-education, and job-placement assistance), {b]in addition to an active military, police protection and prisons.
Maybe I'm just an idealistic dreamer. Or a socialist-democrat. Perhaps I'm something else entirely. But when I formulated this idea in my mind it made quite a bit of sense to me which choice I'd like this nation (the US) to take....
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