If I made $500,000...

How much would I be liable for in taxes for 2008 if I were self-employed and single?

$ 153,597 Federal Income Taxes
$ 44,305 CA State Income Taxes
$ 12,648 Social Security Taxes 12.4% on $102,000
$ 2,958 Medicare Taxes 2.9% on 102,000
$ 997 CA SDI Taxes

Total taxes so far are $214,505.

Let's say I buy a house, and keep my mortgage to 1/3 of my monthly take-home income, I could afford a house that costs $1.2 million. However, I would have to pay 1% property tax, which is another $12,000 a year in taxes.

So effectively on just those six taxes, the Government has gobbled up 45.3% of my income. If I spent every dime I had buying items that had sales taxes, the Government would get their paws on another 8.25% of my money for a total Government taking of 53.55%. This is a Government that does nothing for me as a taxpayer other than provide a military. The rest of the Government is about socialist redistribution of my wealth to individuals that don't work for it. 60% of all people in this country that work pay Federal Income Taxes, the other 40% that work don't pay Federal Income Taxes. Is it any wonder the Democrats continue to win elections and make themselves relevant by promising at least 40% of Americans more socialist handouts?

It makes me sick that people expect the Government to take care of them because they never stop for one second to consider the Government doesn't do a damn thing for them except take money from someone else and give it to them. This is the epitome of selfishness. If charity is a virtue, then allow me to be charitable with MY MONEY, and allow me the decision to where MY MONEY is going. The Government has no business whatsoever taking MY MONEY and giving it someone else. This is another usurpation of my Liberty by this Government.

An argument oft heard by me from Liberals is that you can afford it. Is that really the point? If it is, then my question to Liberals is what amount should each of us be given then to live off then because the rest of the money should just be given to the Government to be determined how it should be spent. I think I've heard of this concept before, and in fact if I'm not mistaken, it's called Communism. Now does Communism work? Is there any evidence in history of it having worked? It's rather remarkable that the only self-admitted Communist country in this world that has outstanding Economic growth indices is China, and what did China do to achieve the robust growth it's experiencing? It deregulated it's market, adopted free-market principles, etc. Isn't it curious then that a Communist country has accepted the notion that when people are given even just a little bit of incentive to work harder and the reward being they can keep the wealth they help create, that even a Communist country like China can succeed and experience robust Economic growth.

My question then is, why has this bastard President of ours, Barack Hussein Obama, declared Capitalism dead? We need to Liberate our Republic from this oppressive tyranny starting by creating a Party which cherishes the Liberty of the Individual. The Republicans had their chance under Bush to show us what a Republican President with a Republican controlled Legislature could accomplish, and they could only create more socialism calling it Prescription Drug Coverage for Seniors and double the National Debt saddling us and future generations with an even weaker Dollar. We know from history the only thing Democrats can do best is destroy our Liberties and saddle us with even more debt and fandangle anything their unscrupulous paws touch. Liberate the Republic!