Why Aren't The Rich Paying 50% in Income Taxes?

G'day Sam,

Frank Chodorov's article begins with this:

"The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines taxation as "that part of the revenues of a state which is obtained by the compulsory dues and charges upon its subjects." That is about as concise and accurate as a definition can be; it leaves no room for argument as to what taxation is."

First, we all should know that that quote is in reference to "income taxation" only. Second, we see that this taxation is "dues and charges upon its subjects". The third thing we should know is that "its subjects" are, according to Black's Law Dictionary, Sixth Edition (c.1991), page 244, "members of a political community who, in their associated capacity, have...submitted themselves to the dominion of a government for the promotion of their general welfare and the protection of their individual as well as collective rights". Fourth, we know that, according to one of the republic's most well-know "founding fathers", that:

"Our legislators are not sufficiently apprized of the rightful limits of their power; that their true office is to declare and enforce only our natural rights . . . and to take none of them from us. No man has a natural right to commit aggression on the equal rights of another; and this is all from which the laws ought to restrain him . . . and the idea is quite unfounded, that on entering into society we give up any natural right." ~ Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Francis Gilmer (c.1816)

Knowing all this, I am truly surprised that more freedom loving individuals don't withdraw from membership in any "political community", which does not "declare and enforce only our natural rights...and...take none of them from us", and, "who, in their associated capacity, have...submitted themselves to the dominion of [the] government". In fact, it would seem that, more often than not, the exact opposite occurs; it seems that any mention of individual secession, which is defined as, "the act of withdrawing from membership in a group", and which has been called The Last, Best Bulwark of Our Liberties, is systematically, and almost universally, ignored.