Our standard of living deserves to be lowered. Americans are spoiled, and most don’t even know it.
By Daniel at 24 November, 2009, 6:19 pm
The upper classes live in gigantic homes that cost a fortune to heat and air condition. People buy a new piece of clothing every week. We ride around alone in our cars to go to stores miles away, spending a fortune on gas, instead of getting on a bus or train. We are all wired to tons of electronic equipment that we throw away and replace on a whim or when a prettier device is marketed. We expect the best even after our businesses stopped real R and D ages ago, and we are more and more reliant on science and technology advanced by those who were educated abroad.
We spend money on more paper and plastic than is used all over the rest of the world… paper towels, paper plates, plastic cutlery, plastic and paper cups. We spend huge sums on toxic chemicals and automated machines to manicure our lawns and hedges. We spend money on automatic pilot lights on stoves, fireplaces, and water heaters. We wash clothes in steaming water. We like to have 2 1/2 baths per home. We cruise the malls, eat ice cream, and buy, buy, buy. Now that we have to rein ourselves in, we are horrified. We have forgotten how to live frugally and sensibly. We spend a fortune cleaning up messes… litter by the roadside, pesticides in the water, industrial chemicals secretly dumped in our back yards. Excuse me, but it is time for America to curb its excesses and pay for what is really important…. the opportunity to see a doctor and get an education, so our country survives into the next century. Obama didn’t ask to deal with all this. It was waiting for him on his first day in office. I’d be proud to pay more taxes … for something other than another oil war and health care only for the rich and lucky.
- Marilyn Quinn
Marilyn,
Put your money where your mouth is: if you’d be proud to pay more taxes, you can start with mine. I’ll send you the bill.
No nation, state, community, etc., ever taxed itself into prosperity. The U.S. of A., c.2010 is not going to be an historic first in this regard.