There is certainly no argument that many successful people (Gates, Buffet included) were successful because of the underlying principles of the United States. Whether their success was based on the internet, financial structures, roads (UPS), railroads (Standard Oil).
However, history has shown that the economy is more constrained, less efficient, and less reliable when the government is in charge of most of the capital. If you wish a good example, look at the economies of Europe. They are breaking down from the weight of government. Ireland, Greece, Spain, and Portugal are not doing well.
If we want to get out of this recession and become more prosperous, we have to recognize that putting more capital (read: money) into the hands of the private sector will result in more economic activity.
Now, lower taxes is a necessary part of that. It’s nice that the government funded the internet, but it put the money into the hands of innovators. It didn’t try to do it itself. Lower taxes reward effort.
Many people think that low tax proponents wish there was no tax. That is not true of me or anyone I know. I don’t mind government being funded to a certain level and I would support it. But I do know the historical results when you raise taxes. It grows the government and results in constraining economic activity.
Everyone here acknowledges that money is power. The super wealthy have it and use it to their advantage. There are many here who resent that. Yet many here would not have that problem giving the government more money (and more power). Well what happens if government has more money? It gets more power.
I would rather that the people of the U.S. be in charge of that money instead of the government. In that, we the people would have the power, not the government. We should already be well aware of what happens when the government has overwhelming power against its citizens. The history for that is not good.
