Before I say anything further, promise me you won't stop reading until you get to the end. Give yourself a chance and you might feel better at the end, who knows? Anything that takes some anger/stress away is certainly worth a couple of minutes.
Not only are jobs disappearing because of technological advances, but because of outsourcing, which I have mixed feelings about. While I like to fantasize about global well-being and beautiful chiffon blouses for $7.99, another part of me wants outsourcing to be illegal so that Americans do have more jobs. Of course making outsourcing illegal will make corporations unhappy. Those wealthy executives would have to sell their private jets and shareholders--who have something in common with the unemployed because they get money by doing pretty much nothing--will not stick around if their dividends shrink.
If you're feeling resentful because your hard-earned income is being wasted on "lazy drug addicts," or "women who keep having babies," try asking yourself if you'd change places with them. Do you honestly feel they've got it better than we do? There might be that rare case of welfare fraud where yes, they do have it better, but these criminals often get caught. I believe there are probably many more crooked "employed" people. After all, supposedly the employed people are much more intelligent as a whole than the unemployed. I won't name names, I'm sure you've heard of the shenanigans going on in the banking industry, corporate world, politics, etc.
We like to think that America is the land of opportunity where a person can go from rags to riches, but realistically the majority of the poor stay poor. It's easy to say "I studied hard in school, went to college, work hard in my career, so why can't everyone do the same?" The reality is not everyone has the same spirit, brains, environment, and opportunity. Jordan, for instance, is one of those "freeloaders" who is unable to work. I wonder if anyone would to change places with her? She wishes she had a job, but jobs for the abled are scarce, much less for the disabled.
There is a lot of waste in our government at every level, I agree. There are bureaucrats with pure intentions who want to do the right thing, but "the right thing" is subjective. Taxes are spent by people some of whose intentions are good and others whose intentions are selfish. That, coupled with the reality that some from each group don't know what the hell they're doing (ever tried reading some of those bills?) yields an imperfect system. Just thinking of this makes some people not want to vote...or pay taxes.
Paying taxes should make us grateful we have income and are able to give, rather than having to live day to day at the mercy of angry complaining taxpayers and politicians who are trying to figure out exactly whom to please in order to keep their jobs.
This attitude may seem simplistic and too passive, but I do admire those who get involved trying to make positive changes. In the short term, I just find it least stressful to rationalize and accept.
I'd like to think those sign-wielding ladies in the photo above agree with me because they sure look happy rather than angry. It's probably because deep inside they know they are fortunate to have an income to pay tax from. *Ducking for cover*
P.S. If the above did nothing for you, check out the tax rates internationally and maybe you won't feel as bad.
