We often hear about greedy capitalists, especially from some people in the US federal government. But I want to talk about how there is greed in socialism.

First of all, I’ll explain what socialism is according to Webster’s Dictionary:

Socialism 1: Any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means and distribution of goods. 2: A system of society or group living in which there is no private property.

In the last 100 years, the US has become more socialistic. The government doesn’t make and distribute goods like cars, but it prints money and takes it from taxpayers to re-distribute to those who don’t work or pay taxes. This is a way of denying private property rights to citizens. Thomas J. DiLorenzo, in his book “The Problem With Socialism”, states that “The Abolition of Private Property” is the hallmark of the Communist Manifesto.”

The government takes wealth instead of creating it.  Even so, DiLorenzo explains that “state and local governments,per the US Bureau of Labor statistics, receive 35% higher wages and 69% more benefits than in the private sector.

Higher government wages and benefits means less money for welfare programs. In the article “The Costs of Public Income Re-distribution and Private Charity,” by J.R. Edwards, he says that per government data, up to 70% of money budgeted for welfare goes to administrators of the bureaucracy. This leaves only 30% for the welfare recipients. Charities, conversely, use 30% or less of their donations for overhead costs with 70% going to the needy. The bureaucrats definitely put themselves first. This is how they get wealthy-from welfare programs.

God says in Deuteronomy 8:18 “it is He(God) who is giving you power to make wealth.” I believe the Bible shows that this power comes through God-given skills to make products and offer services that others will pay for. We don’t get anything in return for most of our taxes. I feel that most taxation is legalized theft. And the more the fruits of our labor is taken the more we become slaves to the government. God wants us to give money to the poor but not to the government first to re-distribute it. Before there was welfare, social security, etc., society gave to the church and charities to help the poor. We should get back to that.

Lots of talk about cutting taxes is in the new lately. Some in Congress, the Media, and even regular citizens are spreading lies about cutting taxes for EVERYONE, especially the rich. I remember watching on the news a constituent getting up in a congressman’s grill during a town hall and angrily accusing him of wanting to give tax cuts to “the rich”. Why was he upset? Is it envy? He wont get the money from the cut. God says envy is wrong. Why should the government have all of this money when there are studies done every year showing how much money is wasted on over-budgeted government programs and on multiple agencies that do the same work. The rich and business owners should keep more of their own money. They’ll spend it more wisely and efficiently to create more businesses, jobs, and wealth for themselves and others.

Why do we have an income tax? The US didn’t have one until 1913. Before that, there was just a sales tax. The income tax is not American. In fact, DiLorenzo quotes that the second plank of the Communist Manifesto says “a heavy progressive or graduated income tax” is needed. The more people make, the more people are punished by having a higher percentage of their income taken through taxation. Even when people say to “soak the rich because they can afford it”, this is not what’s happening. DiLorenzo states that per the IRS, the top 50% of income earners pay 97.2% of the federal taxes. This has to include the middle class. The lower 50% hardly pay any tax. How is this fair?

The Congress also asks how the tax cuts will be paid for or say that the cuts will add to the deficit. Per the US government revenue website, the government received $3.27 Trillion in tax revenue for 2016. They still had a $585 Billion dollar spending  deficit. These guys are greedy. The government has a spending problem, not a tax revenue problem. Agencies like the EPA, FDA, and many others are not mentioned in the constitution and should be eliminated. But there is proof from the past that cutting taxes actually increases revenue to the government. When Reagan cut taxes in the 1980s, federal revenues doubled between 1980 and 1990 according to the article by Peter Sperry on March 1, 2001, titled “The Real Reagan Economic Record: Responsible and Successful Fiscal policy,” on the Heritage Foundation website. Taxes into the federal treasury increased from $517 Billion in 1980 to over $1 Trillion in 1990. Unfortunately, the federal spending also doubled. Again, the government needs to cut back on its lust for spending. Still with these cuts and a reduction in regulations, the economy grew by about 1/3 with no recessions for 92 straight months. This translated to more jobs and higher wages.