OPINION: Dissatisfied Americans are waging new tax war

This is not good news on several fronts. Many financial experts are concerned that a new tax burden just as our economy is showing signs of recovery, will bring the recovery to a screeching halt. The term “double dip recession” is starting to appear on the TV talk shows. A study of past tax policy reveals that tax increases always have a negative effect on the economy, and 2011 will likely be the same.

We Americans have a tendency to rebel over tax and spend policy. The colonies rebelled against England due to their tax program. Remember “No Taxation without Representation?” How about the original Tea Party in Boston Harbor? The American Revolution was a direct result of what the people saw as unfair and excessive taxes.

Then there were the tax protests of the mid 19th century. Under the influence of Northern business interests, Congress passed a series of import taxes that fell heavily on the Southern states. Then Vice President John C. Calhoun of South Carolina led his state into an effort to “nullify” these taxes within that state. Congress agreed to reduce the scope of the tax as a compromise. But when the Radical Republicans won the Congress in 1860, they immediately reinstated the punishing taxes. As a result, the seven cotton states who were most heavily affected by the tax seceded from the union and formed the Confederate States.

Thus, the war of rebellion that established the United States was a tax war. The war of rebellion that resulted in the greatest bloodshed in American history was a tax war. And now a new tax war is threatened due to the massive tax and spend programs currently being expanded by the Obama administration.

There will be a difference this time. This war will not be fought with rifles and swords. This war is being fought over the Internet by bloggers, tweeters, pundits of all persuasions, and rallies of dissatisfied Americans. And just as before, people are going to be hurt. The “loyalist” media is already experiencing massive losses. Politicians are running for their political lives. And the people are once again rallying around community tea party events.

The people won the first rebellion and the United States of America was the result. We lost the second rebellion and massive federal government tax and spend programs resulted, along with the total destruction of the economy of the Southern states.

So what will be the results of this new rebellion? By November of this year, we will have a pretty good idea of how it will come out. It depends on you, the voters, and the decisions you make at the polls.

If you would like to review the effects of tax policy, I suggest the book “For Good and Evil - The impact of taxes on the Course of Civilization,” by Charles Adams.

Become informed and vote wisely.

Frank Gillispie is founder of The Madison County Journal. His e-mail address is frank@frankgillispie.com. His website can be accessed at http://www.frankgillispie.com/gillispieonline.