Taxes make this nation...blog! and protest! Bring the "tea" out!

Taxes!...is the operating word. Taxes, taxes, taxes.

This must be the most divisive word in the North American - U. S., that is - lingo. If taxes increase, it becomes a reason to feel abused. If taxes decrease, "one had it coming"; it was one's right, and in many cases, one's good fortune. Good fortune for the generally accepted expectation is that taxes are an imposition, a highly undesired and detested mechanism, and in many instances an abuse by a central omnipotent force, that is totally unchallengeable. For millions it is a scary proposition, making April 14 (15th ?) a target date to practice will power against one's conscious and unconscious procrastination behaviors. Imagine having to face the specter of a visit by those IRS agents! Too many sleep disturbing thoughts!

Given the present economic situation, and the world-wide economic situation...of which the US is in some measure responsible, ehem!...in which many around me - around us - are affected by the power of Government (especially the past one, and its 8 long years! ) and presently affected by the threats or reality of unemployment; or sickness, esp. if lacking health insurance; social maladies such as robberies and crimes (gangs, haphazard killing and home invasions); decaying infrastructure (roads, uncut green areas - lots of weeds, that is); graffitied underpasses; burned-down homes left standing for a long time, etc.etc.); increasing prices at the grocery store (one does not think of buying anything else); draining monthly utility bills (and the Georgia PSC and Legislature favoring "the Enterprise" in its decisions); costlier cable bundles (might as well cut it out for even CNN is now a "drama and gossip" channel, not the respectable and reliable information source it used to be), and many more examples, etc., etc., allow one to glimpse an understanding the role government was designed to play in servicing and succoring its citizens, situation now highlighted given that the ideology of "private enterprise", "competition" and "free market" forces betrayed Americans, and showed clearly its wide ranging fallacies during these last years.

Take "Healthcare": millions uninsured, millions unemployed, and our legislators, business organizations, Chambers of Commerce, medical, media, and financial institutions, and a myriad of powerful - and wealthy - influencers decry the efforts of wise governmental authorities intent on building a social catch-net as irresponsible, as 'socialists' ..."worthy to fail in their attempts". In the face of so much pain, what does this "tax cry" say? And why?
Is it because some of them might have to pay an increased level of taxes...! Is that so menial, and possible?
Or is it because our "individual - istic" fiber is so ego-rooted that the thought of sharing with others, the thought of being part of, and linked to society in a new way, is to be abhorred. "To partake" and to "share" is "communist", "European decadence", "socialist": all expressions of this confrontation of the past with present day reality.

Why is "corporate" internalized and accepted, yet "common-unity" (community) is not? What's the difference?

For many this paradigm is anathema and never to be understood, even if they themselves or family members, or friends, are hurting thru unemployment, or having to 'accept' unemployment checks, or welfare, or "coupons", TANF, and god-forbid: public emergency rooms or hospitalizations!

The tension between super-evolved Capitalism and diminished Democracy is evident. The distance between society's "individual" and "common-unity" is beyond understanding. As has been expounded in the book "Supercapitalism" by Robert Reich, "capitalism has overtaken democratic principles"...words to that effect. My being unemployed, or without health insurance is because I "had it coming": I am 'lazy', I did not "work hard", as so many voices have suggested. Not that the 'system' as it has been is not sustainable. Its cracks are being exposed open, and 'more' will surely follow.

The question then becomes: are we in a place where our civilization will be able to get a grip on this derailment and learn from it, and put in place the principles that will move us to a new era? To a new stage of development? Will we be able to lead humanity, or provide some guidance, as contribution to humanity's next "stage of development"?

Will it be possible for many of us to shift focus and 'hear' the words of Albert Schweitzer, in his book
The Philosophy of Civilization...in which he wrote about civilization as..."It is the sum total of all progress made by man in every sphere of action and from every point of view in so far as the progress helps towards the spiritual perfecting of individuals as the progress of all progress." See the link to Wikipedia...

If - ignorant as I am of these things - the Maslowe hierarchy has "the spiritual" as the top of the line, then where are we right now...at the bottom? I think Albert's position is quite a stretch...don't you?


Let me share with you this photo: it is called ""Wake Up America! Civilization Calls Every Man Woman and Child!", and the author is the same one that gave us..."Uncle Sam": James Montgomery Flagg. Its description reads: "First World War US propaganda poster ... . Columbia (personification of the United States of America) is seen resting in chair with eyes closed while smoke and flames arise on horizon."

Uncle Sam urges and points us to Columbia: co - incidence? Hmmmmm! Brrrrrr!!!!