With the recent government take over of the American health care system, many people have begun referring to the U.S. as the U.S.S.A--the United Socialist States of America.
To a point, they would be right, but what most people don't realize is that America is already a socialist nation, and has been for a long time. America became a socialist nation, not on March 21, 2010 when the health care bill was signed into law, nor on January 20, 2009 when the most openly socialist president America has ever had was inaugurated, or November 8, 2008 when he was elected. America didn't become socialist in 1965 when Medicare was signed into law, or even 1935 when Social Security was enacted.
No, America became a socialist nation on February 3, 1913 with the passage of the 16th Amendment. For those of you who don't have a copy of the Constitution handy (and why not?), the 16 Amendment reads thus:
The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.
Now, the question is, who decides how much of our incomes to tax? Or in other words, who decides how much of our incomes we are allowed to keep? That's right, the government. What that means is, with the passage of the 16th Amendment, we no longer own the fruits of our labors. The Government does. It is they, not you, who decide how much of your money they get to spend. It is they, not you, who decide how much of your money you get to keep. In short, we all live on a government allowance--and they, not you, decide how much that allowance will be.
And that, my friend, is the very definition of socialism.
Remember this, as you rush to get your taxes filed today. Even more importantly, remember this next November.
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