{"id":7888,"date":"2009-04-15T11:16:31","date_gmt":"2009-04-15T18:16:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/?p=7888"},"modified":"2009-04-15T11:16:46","modified_gmt":"2009-04-15T18:16:46","slug":"americans-today-are-taxed-at-levels-most-of-our-forebears-would-have-considered-unthinkable-by-our-own-nations-historical-standards-we-are-outrageously-insanely-overtaxed-and-yet-we-shrug-our","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/7888\/americans-today-are-taxed-at-levels-most-of-our-forebears-would-have-considered-unthinkable-by-our-own-nations-historical-standards-we-are-outrageously-insanely-overtaxed-and-yet-we-shrug-our\/","title":{"rendered":"“Americans today are taxed at levels most of our forebears would have considered unthinkable. By our own nation’s historical standards, we are outrageously, insanely overtaxed. And yet we shrug our shoulders and say, well, at least we’re not France…”"},"content":{"rendered":"

The American Spectator:<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

How did it become “fair” for an American family to give to government a third of its income? How did it become “fair” for an American family to give to government half of its income?<\/p>\n

When Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765, Americans had never before experienced direct taxation. They rebelled. In 1767, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, which levied taxes on an array of British goods. The colonists responded by boycotting British imports. Parliament repealed most of the Townshend Acts in 1770 (except the tax on tea), and in 1773 passed the Tea Act, which essentially told Americans they had to buy their tea from the East India Company through government-approved merchants. Though the act actually lowered the cost of British tea, Americans were so outraged at Britain’s assertion of authority that they forbade tea-bearing ships from docking. And, of course, in Boston they threw 342 chests of tea into the harbor.<\/p>\n

All of these taxes, by the way, were passed to finance the British Army. The newly independent United States taxed its people directly to pay off the war and ongoing conflicts with France, but in 1802, under President Jefferson, all direct taxation upon the American people was ended. That lasted for a decade, until we had to finance the War of 1812. That war was paid off by 1817, and Americans experienced no direct taxation from their federal government until 1861.<\/p>\n

That means that “Manifest Destiny,” including James K. Polk’s war with Mexico, and the expansion of the country from coast to coast, was financed without a single direct federal tax being levied upon the American people.<\/p>\n

The federal income tax imposed to finance the Civil War had two tax brackets — 3 percent and 5 percent — and was repealed in 1872. It remained off the books until 1913, when the 16th Amendment was ratified. The federal income tax rates in 1913 ranged from 1 percent to 7 percent. That highest rate applied to people earning $500,000 a year or more. Today, a married couple earning that much would pay a federal income tax rate of 35 percent, Read more<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The American Spectator: How did it become “fair” for an American family to give to government a third of its income? How did it become “fair” for an American family to give to government half of its income? When Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765, Americans had never before experienced direct taxation. They rebelled. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[251,24,29],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7888","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"hentry","6":"category-big-mother","7":"category-egoism-in-action","8":"category-group-therapy","10":"no-featured-image"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1511,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/1511\/my-generation-performed-by-contemporaries-of-the-who\/","url_meta":{"origin":7888,"position":0},"title":"My Generation — performed by contemporaries of The Who","author":"Greg Swann","date":"June 6, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"This is fun, but it's not too far from wrong. Pete Townshend is 62. Roger Daltrey is 63. There are some hand-lettered signs (harkening to a Bob Dylan (age 66) video) that make Jeff Brown's arguments all too well. Technorati Tags: real estate, real estate marketing","rel":"","context":"In "Casual Friday"","block_context":{"text":"Casual Friday","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/casual-friday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10953,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/10953\/its-not-enough-for-the-tea-party-movement-to-throw-the-bums-out-to-contain-the-federal-government-we-have-to-cut-its-powers\/","url_meta":{"origin":7888,"position":1},"title":"It’s not enough for the tea party movement to throw the bums out. To contain the federal government, we have to cut its powers.","author":"Greg Swann","date":"August 7, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"[Back to the top from January 21, 2010. --GSS]\u00a0 What a delight it is that the citizens of Massachusetts have risen up against the federal leviathan. All across the country, the tea party movement is furiously aboil, angry Americans anxiously awaiting the opportunity to pull some levers in a voting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Big Mother"","block_context":{"text":"Big Mother","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/big-mother\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12023,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/12023\/rand-pauls-take-on-private-property-rights-is-correct-and-daring-to-tell-unfamiliar-uncomfortable-truths-to-voters-is-laudable\/","url_meta":{"origin":7888,"position":2},"title":"Rand Paul’s take on private property rights is correct — and daring to tell unfamiliar, uncomfortable truths to voters is laudable.","author":"Greg Swann","date":"May 20, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Well. I'm thinking that \"Everybody Draw Mohammed Day\" has brought us a nearly universal display of cowardice from the RE.net. If I am mistaken in this, I will happily amend my error with a link and a courtly bow. But I expect there is even more room for quivering, quibbling,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Big Mother"","block_context":{"text":"Big Mother","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/big-mother\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17632,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/17632\/overnight-news-a-peaceful-devolution-of-government-now-thats-a-christmas-miracle\/","url_meta":{"origin":7888,"position":3},"title":"Overnight News: A peaceful devolution of government? Now that\u2019s a Christmas miracle!","author":"Greg Swann","date":"December 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Parliamentary governments are incapable of sustained sanity. That's why the CIA and the State Department install them, in the train of their wreckage, everywhere they go. It's wonderful that the European Union has released the primordial Parliament from its foolishly self-inflicted bondage, but, sadly, there is no reason to suppose\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Group Therapy"","block_context":{"text":"Group Therapy","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/group-therapy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ya think it's easy?","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/BHBNewTopImage-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5137,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/5137\/how-alexander-hamilton-the-father-of-american-rotarian-socialism-gave-birth-to-the-present-economic-crisis\/","url_meta":{"origin":7888,"position":4},"title":"How Alexander Hamilton, the father of American Rotarian Socialism, gave birth to the present economic crisis","author":"Greg Swann","date":"October 22, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Dr. Thomas J. DiLorenzo writing at the Ludwig von Mises Institute:Hamilton was the intellectual leader of the group of men at the time of the founding who wanted to import the system of British mercantilism and imperialistic government to America. As long as they were on the paying side of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Big Mother"","block_context":{"text":"Big Mother","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/big-mother\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3263,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/3263\/housing-rescue-plan-passes-senate-smell-test\/","url_meta":{"origin":7888,"position":5},"title":"Housing Rescue Plan Passes Senate Smell Test","author":"Brian Brady","date":"June 24, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Ever see what you thought was a pragmatic idea bastardized?\u00a0 I'm no politician but I love throwing mock legislation up to the Bloodhound Congress.\u00a0 If you've ever watched C-SPAN, The Bloodhound Congress resembles The British Parliament much more than our domestic legislative body.\u00a0 Boos, hisses, and cheers abound in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Real Estate"","block_context":{"text":"Real Estate","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/real-estate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7888"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7888\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7889,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7888\/revisions\/7889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}