[gahahaha]

The more underfunded the government is, the less it can invest in schools, mental health care, the environment, infrastructure, a competent bureaucracy and so on. All things that are necessary for economic growth. Americans' allergic reaction to paying taxes is just one more reason why the country is circling the drain.

[utternerd]

"Competent bureaucracy" is essentially an oxymoron. "Things" necessary for economic growth are infinitely more efficient when directed by the market, not by forceful removal of my property for "them" to decide how best it can be utilized. Why is my body (which extends to my means of production) not my own?

[wvenable]

> "Competent bureaucracy" is essentially an oxymoron.

That's the belief that underpins your opinion but that is far from a fact. It's also a belief that tends to be self-fulfilling -- you get the government that you believe you should have.

[gahahaha]

Competent bureaucracy is what they've got in Sweden. You obviously don't believe public goods exists. That's stupid.

[pauletienney]

"'Things' necessary for economic growth are infinitely more efficient when directed by the market". This. I think you just touched the essentiel cultural difference.

IMHO the market is a good tool but it is very far from perfect. Its main weakness is the strength it gives to the signal price. The market is a global race to the lowest price and highest ROI. "Things" like infrastructure, health, environnement are expensive with a low (short/mid term) ROI. The market will never favor them.

[wvenable]

> Why is my body (which extends to my means of production) not my own?

You believe your means of production are entirely self-contained which is entirely false. You need all of civilization for your production to be useful. It's not unreasonable to have to pay for that civilization.

[xkcd-sucks]

But in practice, more tax money just gets allocated to homeland security, military, police, domestic surveillance, and things that generally don't benefit most tax payers

[rascul]

Based off data that I've seen, increasing investments into the U.S. public education system by the government doesn't seem to have made significant improvements to the quality of education. There are those who feel that this funding actually removes, or at least lessens, the incentive to improve.

[vowelless]

> Americans' allergic reaction to paying taxes is just one more reason why the country is circling the drain.

A big component of the founding of this country was as a reaction to taxes. In general taxes have lead to many wars and revolutions in the past.