from Verse One Hundred Fifty-TwoEnlightened leaders of ancient times limited what they took from their subjects and were moderate in their own living. They would always assess yearly income before taking anything: measuring the stores of the people, they gathered taxes only after determining whether there were surpluses or shortfalls...Their compassion for the people was such that they did not season their own food if there was any hunger in the country, and they did not wear leather themselves if any of the people were cold. They shared the same pains and pleasures as the people, so there were no downcast people in all the land.~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~
I continue to marvel at how a document so old can speak so eloquently of modern times!!
In the United States -- and I'm certain this is true to some degree in most nations -- the amount taken from the average person has little to do with the economic realities of the time. Crack open your local newspaper and you will see that across the country both the federal government and state legislatures are thinking up all sorts of new ways to tax people. This strategy is being deployed left and right despite the fact too many people are unemployed and/or facing foreclosure on their homes.
At the same time, the Obama administration (and its predecessor) have opened up the public vaults to save Wall Street, banks, the car industry and numerous other big moneyed interests. Add to this the fact that we're spending billions upon billions of dollars each month waging two fruitless wars simultaneously -- which is enriching many corporations and individuals -- and you have a situation that is the precise opposite of what Lao Tzu describes above!!
No wonder so many people are frustrated, angry and feeling hopeless.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
In the United States -- and I'm certain this is true to some degree in most nations -- the amount taken from the average person has little to do with the economic realities of the time. Crack open your local newspaper and you will see that across the country both the federal government and state legislatures are thinking up all sorts of new ways to tax people. This strategy is being deployed left and right despite the fact too many people are unemployed and/or facing foreclosure on their homes.
At the same time, the Obama administration (and its predecessor) have opened up the public vaults to save Wall Street, banks, the car industry and numerous other big moneyed interests. Add to this the fact that we're spending billions upon billions of dollars each month waging two fruitless wars simultaneously -- which is enriching many corporations and individuals -- and you have a situation that is the precise opposite of what Lao Tzu describes above!!
No wonder so many people are frustrated, angry and feeling hopeless.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
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