As American finish tax forms due by tonight, the controversy over who pays federal income taxes arises yet again.
Conservatives and Republicans have no problem condemning the fact that 45 percent of American households pay no federal income tax. The fact that 68 percent of American households under $50,000 income pay no taxes vexes them.
But can a family of four, in reality, be expected to pay federal income taxes when they have a problem in almost any part of the country paying rent, food, and other basic needs that every family with children has?
Realize all taxpayers everywhere pay state sales taxes, and property taxes if they own their home, and state and local income taxes in all but seven states, as well as Social Security taxes and Medicare taxes!
Realize that health care for millions is extremely expensive for a family of four, and that the cost of just taking care of children is sky high!
Earning $50,000 for a family of four was once considered middle class, but realistically is not enough in the economy of today,and with the taxes and fees that all Americans pay!
And realize that when one says under $50,000, that does not mean everyone is making close to that amount, as many families of four are living on only $30,000 or less for a family, and are wallowing in poverty and deprivation!
The federal government has offered tax breaks to help families pay for college, buy homes, have children, and given wage supplements to the extremely poor.
But for every tax break for lower income tax payers, the wealthy and upper middle class have been given much more lucrative tax advantages, and somehow, that is not a problem for Republican and conservatives!
In other words, if the government helps the rich, and many avoid taxes altogether or pay a very low rate of taxes, that is perfectly fine, a good example of capitalism!
But if the poor or struggling middle class has breaks, we should milk them for all they are worth, and look down on them as lazy, shiftless, lacking in ambition, and punish them for having children, after advocating no abortion rights!
Needless to say, this is the height of hypocrisy by the Republicans and conservatives, but they have no shame in condemning the poor, just as in the Gilded Age, the social philosophy known as Social Darwinism ruled, and has now been revived in modern times without any shame or embarrassment by the hard Right in this country!