Crony Capitalism

BubbleBliss wrote:Well, the gov't also officialy decides who deserves to pay what percentage of taxes....

Actually no, the "government" does not decide. It is the people who decide through their elected representatives in Congress. That is how a representative republic works. All power is supposed to reside in the people - not the government. But since, as Tex pointed out, nearly 50% of the people now pay no taxes and indeed get money back from the government, they are given an incentive to vote for those representatives that will promise them more of other peoples money through higher rates of taxation - taxes they don't pay.

It is exactly as Benjamin Franklin (at least, he is the person this quote is most attributed to) said; "When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."