Henry- Just a thought, maybe not a specific response to your email (I didn't see the 60 minutes show). For years I have been among the Americans (quietly and ineffectively) protesting taxes. One year I made a little more money than usual and HALF was taken by self employment and social security etc. (FYI- I wasn't in the 50% bracket but that's what happened). But what I protest isn't really the amount of the taxes as much as the way my tax money is used. My proposal (a modest one) is to have a list of boxes on the tax forms, along with an "other" line which can be filled in, that will allow me to state specifically on what I would like any amount of my taxes to be spent. If I do not fill in that section, I guess the government could spend it in its default mode. (By the way, my choices --without being too specific -- would be EDUCATION. EDUCATION. EDUCATION. ...and arts and environment). Just an idea. Mindy [log in to unmask] On Mon, 4 Dec 1995, Henry Grunder wrote: >On the topic of "downsizing" - a euphemism for Philistinism (see Matthew Arnold) - did any happen to see CBS "Sixty Minutes" last night, the piece about Paris and the incredible level of government support? One point that came out was the high level of taxes the French (and other Europeans as well) _willingly_ assess themselves in order to fund their public and social _benefits_. Americans are great whiners and snivelers. They bellyache about airplane exits and supposed slights. They complain about their taxes. They don't know what high taxes are; and, ipso facto, they don't know what a high standard of living can be. Perhaps the devolution of government from the central government in Washington will move the support for public and social benefits - and the concommitant high level of taxes - down to the states. The funding simply must come from somewhere, or America will become Third World in all but sheer size and military power. Unfortunately, however, is unlikely that there would be a corresponding reduction in central government taxes. Not as long as it has Congress and its "defense" contractor cronies. "Usual disclaimers"