Scout:I was never good in math so bear with me.  I understand the theory behind cutting taxes, increased businessactivity and the creation of jobs resulting in more revenue for the government.  It is just difficult for meto get my mind around the idea that owing so much to so many can be mitigated by reducing the government's revenue stream in the short run.  In the long run, you may well be right, but as a wit has said, "in the long run we are all dead."  I enjoy you posts and your candor and I agree that the real effort is how to escape fromthis pit we have dug for ourselves.  If your goal is to shrink government, I fear that you are going to be verydisappointed in the years to come.  We are well on our way to adopting the European solution to domestictranquility and that means more government, not less.  Reagan tried to starve the beast and failed.  Bush expanded it despite his initial desires to eliminate whole departments.  You and I will be recycled atomsin new born stars before the government shrinks.Now the lanyard is a tempting option, but we all know the perils if one chooses that route.  The man onhorseback is waiting in the wings with his propane torch for the Constitution and his knout for the likes of us.Enjoy the rest of the day--I go to tar the roof, you might like to re-read 1984 again.  Would you like to be Winston or O'Brian?

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Excellent–I always liked snapping turtles rather than sheep.  Agitating for reform is a very good thing, but in America the “sweet spot” is the moderate middle who is easily frightened by radicals at either end of the political spectrum.  When you use phrases like “lanyard” and “whiff of grapeshot” they may not know just exactly what you mean, but they sense that this may not be good.  Correct me if I am wrong, but I seem to recall that the American Revolution was supported by about one third of the people with the remainder being either Tories or indifferent.Alternate quote:  It is the duty of every American to pay every dime of his legally imposed taxes.Here is a coda:  If you can afford it, you might even write a check to the government to help in reducing the national debt.  Would this not be for the general welfare of the national and  "patriotic" thing to do?Now I shall check the blog you suggested.

Your opinion of “waste” may differ greatly from those of other taxpayers.  We have no consensus as to justwhat the priorities are for spending tax dollars at any level--federal, state or local.  People in Congress know how to budget. The point is that they do not have to nor is it always in the best interest of the nation that we do so.  In times of crises we go into the red.Whether you pay your taxes happily or not is irrelevant.  If you do not file or get caught cheating you could end up in jail--it is the law whether you like it or not.  You might want to suggest that the government allow taxpayers to allot their income tax to particular expenditures.  You might want to fund an orphanage inArkansas or buy Italian pistols for the army.  Would this help?One final point.  Our governments--federal, state and local, have decided that we do have an obligation to pay for the upkeep of the sick, the lazy, the criminals and the fools.  In your name and with your money they are doing this every day providing food, shelter and medical care for those kinds of people.  I really do notsee how you can escape the fact that there is a disconnect between what you want your government to do and what you would do were you the government.  We cannot abandon these people and let them roam the streets starving, cold and ridden with disease--this is not Calcutta.  What would your solution be if you were hired as a consultant and ordered to come up with a plan to break the cycle of dependence?  I believe I mentioned previously that the county I live in spends every single dime gleaned from the real estate taxes on paying for Medicaid for county residents.  There is no money for anything else.  This isunsustainable as thew state is broke, the bridges are rusting, the roads go to potholes, teachers, firemenand police officers are being laid off and taxes are to be raised again--madness.So, as a consultant please tell those that hired you that it is critical that we come to some kind of agreementas to the spending priorities, keep trying to build bridges over the roiling waters of factionalism, and getour act together before the whole edifice crumbles.  Taxes are the price we pay for freedom, security and a decent way of life.  They are not wrong, illegal or the product of theft--these are just dumb headed pronouncements by screechers and howlers.

I would not take your proffered bet because I am fairly confident that I would lose.Glad you liked the idea though.

Here is something good to watch on the debt and spending:[html][youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwv5EbxXSmE&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3%5D%5B/html%5D