Are americans overtaxed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Are americans overtaxed - Essay Example In the book ‘Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Political Issues’, the authors George McKenna and Stanley Feingold have adopted a very good approach to dealing with many of the issues that are the subject of frequent political and public debates. After giving a brief explanation, they attach articles and writings from thinkers and essayists about the issues- one taking a ‘pro’ or positive stance and the other taking a ‘con’ or negative view point of the same issue. In this way by reading about the issue from both sides we become more informed not only about the issue at hand but the reasons why some people are in favor of it while others are against it. We begin to understand the whole issue better by looking at its different aspects, their dimensions and its effects. Writing in favor of less taxation, in his piece called ‘Seven Myths About Taxing the Rich’ (McKenna & Feingold, 222), Curtis Dubay says that President Obama wants to raise the upper two tax brackets from 33 and 35 percent to 36 and 39.6 percent respectively, thereby impacting their after tax incomes or returns on investment. Dubay argues that there is a need to lower taxes across the board and do away with special tax benefits that serve the rich. But that is only one aspect of the problem. If we have to spend millions of dollars on the War on Terror in Afghanistan and Iraq, it will continue pushing our expenses and debt levels sky high. So it makes no sense to tax hard working Americans while those in Congress make the wrong decisions about spending. We will need to rein back on needless spending and put in some more austerity measures on a personal level where politicians need to lead by their own example. Writing in favor of taxing the rich more, Steve Brouwer states in ‘If We Decided to Tax the Rich’ (McKenna & Feingold, 228) that over the years, there has been a