It’s not rocket science, but yet people don’t seem to understand that blindly raising taxes on corporations and the wealthiest among us isn’t actually a good solution. Think about it: the wealthiest people in the U.S. didn’t get that way by writing a lot of checks. Keep raising taxes on them, expecting them to bear the onerous burden of extra taxes to support unconstitutional reform bills and other political projects, and they’ll simply move their money around in ways which means its no longer accessible to the U.S. Though it’s hardly the case in all situations, usually the wealthiest among us are that way through their efforts and productivity. It makes little sense to me to say that those who are capable of producing more than their fair share of the productivity in this country should be punitively taxed for their efforts, but I tend to believe that one should be compensated properly for their efforts and contributions. For an interesting debate on the subject, read the debate on the Economist.

A similar argument holds true for corporations. You can’t just reach into your bag of tax tricks and throw a few more taxes at corporations and expect them to just bend over and take it. Corporations aren’t tied to a locale. If the tax burden becomes too much, they can relocate to states or countries where they can get a better deal. As technology advances, this will only become easier to accomplish. Want proof? Then just read this story.

I’m not saying that the wealthy and the corporations shouldn’t pay their share (using more logical tax policy, preferably), I’m simply saying we need to stop thinking with a victim’s mentality and expect others to take care of us just because they’re better off. The results may not be the rosy raking in of loose cash that people expect, and may actually end up with more people losing jobs and greater economic hardships for all.

Remember when I blogged about what a bad idea these new Full Body Scanners in airports are? I believe I was concerned about the privacy and underpaid/under-trained employees taking advantage of the systems (especially since the TSA was erroneously claiming that the scanners couldn’t store/transmit images). Well, we have a wonderful example of abuse of the scanners already and it wasn’t even directed at the public, but from employee to employee. I especially liked the justification of the employee who snapped the pic of his female coworker: “I love those gigantic tits.” I urge you to read this and imagine it every time you’re forced to go through one of these scanners while the people behind the screen stare at you. I do like the fact that people are now calling the body scanners, “perv scanners.”

This story on Reason is frightening on so many levels. Not only are the police staging an assault on a man’s home without a warrant or judicial oversight, they actually tackle and arrest the guy, submit him to mental health screening, even enter his home and confiscate his property (several firearms). Again, NO WARRANT! Why? The police were participating in something akin to “Pre-Crime” as envisioned by Philip K. Dick and put on the big screen in the movie “Minority Report”, although the Oregon police probably didn’t have the benefit of psychics. The guy being arrested had recently been placed on administrative leave from his job and had been in the process of filing grievances, as per his union contract. All on the up-and-up. He hadn’t threatened anyone. He wasn’t disgruntled. He was following the rules. But he got his tax refund and, being a shooting enthusiast, went out a bought a few new weapons. The police decided that he might be on track to carry out an assault on his old workplace. They had no proof, no complaints and no evidence, but that didn’t stop them from preemptively detaining this man (after tackling and handcuffing him), forcing him to undergo psychiatric evaluation (he was released later that day with a clean bill of mental health), searching his home, confiscating his guns (returned 4 days later)…without a warrant. And the man had done nothing illegal…not even a little bit. If that doesn’t cause everyone in this country, gun owner or not, to feel a knot of fear form in their stomach, then I don’t know what will. The government is detaining citizens based on the idea that something bad MIGHT happen. Doesn’t that seem a bit intrusive and abusive? Makes me nervous, makes me wonder what happened to our constitutional rights…like the 4th amendment and such.

The Motley Fool has an interesting article available commenting on the future and their concerns now that the Health Care Reform has passed. I personally enjoy the last line the most: “On the upside, you won’t need as much for retirement, because you likely won’t live as long.”

If you’re looking for an informative, if slightly disheartening, review of the Top Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians of 2009, be sure to check out Judicial Watch’s article.

There’s a nice opinion piece on CNN.com today about why expanding the use of CCTV surveillance cameras is a bad idea. Take a read if you’re so inclined. I don’t even know why the argument needs to be made – it seems obvious to me that part of being a proud American is a desire for freedom, not a hankering to slip our faces under the boot of Big Brother. Yet it appears that people in this country are only too willing to give up their freedoms and their privacy for the feeling of security, even if that’s all you’re getting…a feeling, not actual security.