Why are so many Americans against social programs? (tax code, capital, articles)

[InformedConsent]

Originally Posted by DukerZ

Anecdotal evidence is not very good evidence. But I'm not doubting your sincerity.

My contention about the nails and waxing would be, so what? The pittance that recipients are paid pales next to the waste of defense spending and healthcare spending. So someone in a dead-end job with a miserable life reaches for the brass ring of a nice haircut or a frozen pizza. So what? That doesn't diminish me in any appreciable manner. I'm happy for them for doing it.

Nobody wants egregious waste. I don't. But I don't see a pair of new shoes as egregious waste. Do we really want to have an entire segment of our population living in abject poverty to suit the 'stoic' tastes of others? I don't. Considering most recipients of aid are single white mothers, I don't want the kids tortured any more than circumstances provide. It's tough not having a dad. No one to teach you how to catch a ball or ride a bike. Why make their lives meaner and tougher?

I think a government by and for the people should provide for the people. Why else are we here. I mean we don't even know what this is in the larger sense. But that's another issue.

I would agree if we all paid a capitation tax and equally divided the costs, but we don't, and that has created a "taker" class that has enslaved the productive/contributing class.

If you want social democracy-type programs, we'll have to change our tax system from progressive to regressive, the type of tax system social democracies have.

Many economists have studied this. More info, here:

How Social Democracies Are Able To Fund and Provide Comprehensive Social Programs

Why Danes Happily Pay Regressive, High Tax Rates - US News and World Report

[AlongTheI-5]

Originally Posted by InformedConsent

I would agree if we all paid a capitation tax and equally divided the costs, but we don't, and that has created a "taker" class that has enslaved the productive/contributing class.

If you want social democracy-type programs, we'll have to change our tax system from progressive to regressive, the type of tax system social democracies have.

Many economists have studied this. More info, here:

How Social Democracies Are Able To Fund and Provide Comprehensive Social Programs

Why Danes Happily Pay Regressive, High Tax Rates - US News and World Report

Meanwhile the GOP make taxes more regressive AND cut programs.

[InformedConsent]

Originally Posted by AlongTheI-5

Meanwhile the GOP make taxes more regressive AND cut programs.

They're nowhere near as regressive as they are in the social democracies. Make them so, and the cuts won't have to be made.

Review the info in the link:

"...This isn't an accident. UC Davis's Peter Lindert has argued in his book "Growing Public" that European social democracies were only able to develop the programs they did because they used efficient consumption taxes that didn't lower growth as much as progressive income taxes, particularly those on capital income. *European countries needed tax systems that could raise a lot of money without hurting growth, and only regressive consumption taxes fit the bill.*

...[Researchers] Prasad and Deng found that the progressivity of countries' tax codes is *negatively* correlated with the amount of redistribution they do. In English: The less progressive the [tax] code, the more progressive the system."