It's a tricky subject. Are all people genuinely capable of working a well paying job to pay taxes? Should all jobs pay the same amount? Then, where is the incentive to excel? Should all people be expected to work a 40+ hour week?
I really struggle with all of this. I live in the UK where there is a national health service- so- free(ish) healthcare for all. (Although, the quality and availability varies widely.) Personally- that seems like the moral thing to do as a society. I don't think people should be just left to suffer and deteriorate and die because they can't afford healthcare. I don't think people should feel terrified to receive healthcare because it will affect their insurance premiums. On the other hand though, there absolutely are people who milk the system.
Really, I don't know what should be done. I'd like to live in a society where everyone contributed what they truly could and didn't try to screw everyone else over!
But, that absolutely goes for the richest in our societies too. If we're talking about tax- there's also tax evasion to consider. The very richest in our societies employ people to wangle them out of paying anything they don't absolutely have to. Off shore accounts, avoiding inheritance tax, shell companies, all sorts. I bet all sorts goes on to the tune of millions, perhaps billions. And these are people who aren't struggling to get by.
I just think human nature means you'll always get people who freeload and exploit. What's worse? Someone refusing to pay council tax or, massive companies like Starbuck's and Amazon wangling their way out of paying their tax?
There's corruption at both ends of the scale. Plus, because a lot of us likely see our own governments/MP's/councils as corrupt, it makes us think- why shouldn't we try and avoid paying out our hard earned cash for these corrupt arseholes to embezzle it or give it to their mates in some underhand deal? eg. the recent UK Michelle Mone PPE scandal.
That's the main issue I think- if you're expecting people who are genuinely ill or at a disadvantage to be able to work a well paying job to do it anyway- the people taking their money need to be purer than the driven snow- surely? Why should you expect people to pay willingly into a system that is so corrupt?!!
So it's basically like communism I think. In theory, it sounds fair. In practice though, it doesn't seem to work out like that. The people with the most money and power and opportunities/status in life don't want to relinquish that. Why would they? Their life would become as shit as everyone elses! So, how would it ever really work- when there isn't a level playing field to begin with? When legal loopholes exist for them to legally act in underhand ways? It's like everything would need to change. And I don't believe it will unless there's a revolution or something.
