"In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes" - B. Franklin [1789]

Good old Ben, if he could see us now.  In an election year, especially this election year, many subjects that get discussed around the dinner table get elevated on the stump.  We must endure this tax day ritual every year of our adult life and I am certain our political figures will take this opportunity to use it to push forward their own agendas.  The funny point about all their ramblings is that as our representatives, they have a large part in deciding on how much we are taxed and where it goes.  The politicians may profess to be interested in lowering taxes or using the money for a greater good, but even if they renege on those promises and are voted out of office, another rambler simply takes his or her place continuing the cycle.

The topic of taxes is an incendiary one, eliciting passionate responses from almost everyone I speak with on the subject.  Throughout history taxes have been maligned as a scourge upon society.  Some historians have even attributed the fall of the Roman Empire to affects of rapid expansion and an over-consumed tax base.  Taken to its extreme, you could surmise that the Roman Empire essentially taxed itself out of existence.  I believe today’s politicians would do well to take a simple history lesson about a great many things.

When America was initially formed, the idea of a life in politics was considered ludicrous.  People served as representatives out of a sense of duty, obligation and loyalty.  They did the best they could and left office, letting the next person assume the duty.  Essentially, the representative served their time and was paroled and returned to a productive member of society.  Now, politics is considered a profession that individuals aspire to and spend much of their adult lives pursuing.

I’ve heard the arguments that the system to too complex and takes too long to gain competence.  Politicians are needed that fully understand the system so they can fairly represent their constituency.  Where did the complexity come from?  Why has it reached the point where you need a law degree to understand our government or a doctorate in political science to interpret a law?  Have the politicians left to create their own world done just that through intricate and non-sensible doctrine.  When does it stop, when even the political creation takes up a life of its own ensnares even the politicians themselves?  Granted, an extreme view, however did the Romans ever contemplate the fate their actions wrought.

Perhaps Ben wasn’t too far off in his quote. 

Maybe we are dealing with “Death by Politics”…