Idiots, and masochists.

And having government services that protect society and borrowing to pay for them, that is owed in the future is also theft from future generations.  While in a perfect world, people would pay for everything needed voluntarily, apparently the body politic doesn't seem to know how to, or want to, so thus they have the government do this.

Wow, I knew that cartoon looked familar.  Here is the original:

How about... the government stop wasting most of the tax dollars. You wouldn't need to raise taxes on anyone. You could probably just lower it across the board and still reduce the debt if you just stopped spending so damn much as a government. And by spending I mean pissing down the toilet billions of dollars.

There is waste in any system.  Personal economics, prvate businesses, corporations, public/private cooperative situations, the public sphere. Yes, keeping waste to a minimum should be a priority, but the argument that our money is being less efficiently through government than it would in private means isn't always true.  

"Waste" is also a relative term.  

Yes, you are soooo right here.  Like, take the situation of homelessness in America.  You don't need any government programs.  Just let the homeless get themselves tents, and reach out to the community feed themselves.  You can also have college kids who don't have jobs to go out and do something, to see how it is to live like homeless and live with them.  Well, since you can't just allow them to be on private property, maybe they could then set up their tents in public parks.  Nope, don't need any welfare, just tents, public parks, and community donations.  Hey, but enough about Occupy.

You know, the major issue I have with people who say taxes should be raised on the rich, is how is it fair?

It shouldn't have a fucking thing to do with whether X amount of dollars is plenty to live on, so clearly everything after that should just be taxed through the roof. That is absolute bullshit.

The fairest system of them all that actually works is a flat tax. If you make a shitload more, what do you know, you still pay the exact same percentage. Paying this same percentage on the higher income still results in you paying considerably more than those not making nearly as much.

What did person X do that he should have to provide 50% of his income to pay for the government that person Y didn't do. Don't they both drive on the same roads? Don't they both receive the same military care? Don't they both receive the same protective services such as firefighters and police? Don't they both have the same public schools available to them? Don't they both have the same everything provided to them?

Also, for those who say that Republicans are all just greedy, and Democrats are about a "we society," seriously get over yourself. I saw an article a number of years back indicating the average Republican makes less money per year than a Democrat, yet averages considerably more money given to charity than a Democrat. Perhaps we feel that our money should be provided through charities, rather than have the extremely retarded government of ours deal with it.

Imo a progressive tax system is the most fair.

However many are asking for a punitive tax system and imo that is not the ideals that America was founded upon and stands for.

The thing is such a system is not needed, because if spending is too high no level of taxation will make it sustainable (well no level of reasonable taxation).

Higher Taxation through reducing loopholes, slight increases and lower spending is the only logically way to lower the US debt.

Any other option will cause to much pain and suffering.

Adam Carolla has a brilliant discussion on taxes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeyyDD3gQMo

Great listen for anyone that wants to hear a funny but accurate discussion about taxes.