Instead of a Military Draft, Why Not A War Tax?

[Yavin4]

I understand Rangel's moral argument, but I think that there's a way to satisfy his moral qualms with an all-volunteer army without resorting to a draft. What about a War Tax? Every time Congress authorizes military force for the president, an automatic 15% hike in federal income taxes kicks in for everyone. It would be a 15% increase on the rate of taxes that you are paying. Thus, if you are currently paying 15% of income in taxes, you will be hit with a 17.25% rate hike, etc.

By making everyone pay higher taxes, you make everyone sacrifice equally. The money would go directly to the troops and their families. It would pay for their lifelong healthcare, retirement, etc. And yes, EVERYONE PAYS. Because if we only tax the rich, then they may push for wars on a cost/benefit analysis. Haliburton would gladly pay the 15% hike so long as they make it up by war profiteering. Also, a War Tax would get everyone's attention about war. Everyone would vote and take an interest.

Additionally, I propose that every year the war goes on, the War tax would spike up another 5%. So for Iraq, the War Tax in 2003 would be 15% increase, in 2004 a 20% increase, in 2005 a 25% increase, in 2006 a 30% increase. So, in 2006, if you are paying 15% of income in taxes, then you're real federal income tax would be 19.5%. The tax would escalate until there's a resolution of the war.

A War Tax makes perfect sense. It requires a sacrifice from everyone without forcing them to do anything that they didn't want to do. Also, it would temper the politicians from declaring war willy nilly.

[blm]

1. heh...works for me.

.

[wtmusic]

2. Nothing grabs the attention like a draft notice to your preppie son/daughter

"Money? Big deal. We've got lots of it."

[Dr Fate]

4. Not so for the middle class & working poor types who supported the war. n/t

n/t

[Dr Fate]

3. Too creative and intelligent. WAY too aggressive & thought provoking. Forget it.

n/t

[bryant69]

5. That's a good idea

Hell this is the first time we've fought a war (let alone a war to save civilization as the Bushies tell us this is) where we've cut taxes.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Virginia Dare]

6. And hire more mercs?....n/t

[wtmusic]

9. x-actly

That's what our military is becoming. Mercs. It used to be about sacrifice; now it's about getting out of the ghetto.

[sui generis]

19. sacrifice? it was never about sacrifice. It was about duty

in a time when democracy seemed threatened at every corner by communism, feudalism, and despotism.

There is nothing noble about sacrifice, and we shouldn't ennoble it with romantic Jerry Bruckheimer notions of war.

When you're dead, it's over. Your kids can't ask for a bed time story from your sacrifice, can't tell a bed time story to their kids, can't comfort you alone at night.

Getting out of the ghetto on your own manpower and willpower - that's noble. Volunteering for duty, that's noble.

Being pressed into it by the bad decisions of stupid old men; just as third world as the next undeveloped nation.

[wtmusic]

22. Nothing noble about sacrifice?

Hmm. I'll disagree with you there. Sacrifice involves not just your life, but your time, your energy, your resources.

I'll disagree with you on a second point: "When you're dead, it's over." No, when I'm dead my kids will have to live in the world I've helped create for them, which will be based largely on the sacrifices I've been willing to make during my life.

[sui generis]

24. fundamentally then sacrifice should only involve sacrificing one's self

Why is it we're so willing to "force" people to sacrifice themselves?

And sacrifice and work are two different things. Work involves your life, times, energy and resources as well.

Why is working 60 hours a week to have an economy worth defending considered less noble than fighting in the infantry?

Is being an officer or an enlisted man more noble?

Is this a contest of nobility?

And when you're dead, you have no idea what the world you helped create looks like, and no say in it. Your children may be much worse off without a father in that world. I'm sure they're certain your life is worth more.

[wtmusic]

26. People go to work for the sake of the economy?

Everyone I know goes to work to make money, to survive. It's less noble because it involves far less risk, and is considerably more selfish.

When you're a soldier, you're accepting a far higher risk/reward ratio ostensibly because you're helping your country and the society which has given you a lot. That's noble. Is it a contest? Only if you want to make it one, but I think most people would consider nobility a virtue.

AFAIK every American war except Gulf I-II has involved a draft, and the reason has a lot to do with the fact that not enough people are willing to sign up voluntarily to defend the country. That's just fact.

[sui generis]

28. if our values are not on war and sacrifice then nobility is in the eye of the beholder

I can't at all agree with you in the 21st century.

The problem with hawkish support of the draft is that hawks by definition are authoritarians. If a country is worth defending and if a country is indeed under attack and not just bullying around in bullshit wars run by amateurs, I'd bet you my left nut we would have enough "volunteers".

Governments resort to draft when they view their citizenry as expendable. World War I, Vietnam, both were essentially fought for the wrong reasons. Afghanistan was a valid target. Iraq was not. A 50% record on getting it right means that the people who are dragging us into wars should not be making decisions about the lives of our children.

I am not opposed to a draft in the event of a real need for it. This is not that time.

[atreides1]

7. One codicil

Anyone with a family member serving in the military would be exempt from the war tax. The exemption would remain in place as long as the person serving is in the military, or in the case of death the exemption would apply for 2 years for the survivors.

By family member I mean husband/wife, mother/father, son/daughter. Sorry cousins don't count!

[spuddonna]

12. Excellent idea... n/t

[Bake]

18. A dead son only gets you 2 years tax exemption?

How fucked up is THAT? A dead son or daughter ought to exempt a family for the duration of the war.

Of course, the "war on terror" is endless anyway. So how do you know when to instate the tax and when to cancel it? You don't. It just becomes another permanent tax.

Bad idea.

Oh, and in response to the (I think) OP, whether you only tax the rich or tax everyone, Halliburton and the other war profiteers will STILL make out like bandits, and I doubt they'll "gladly" pay ANYthing. They'll just consider it a cost of doing business and build it into their no-bid contracts.

Bake

[Yavin4]

20. Accepted

Agreed and accepted.

[wuushew]

What about undeclared wars?

Americans were dying in Vietnam well before the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

[sui generis]

15. what about giving our people an incentive to serve rather than an order?

like no fucked up irresponsible wars. Like, healthcare. Like, recognizing your civil rights.

Are we so incapable of doing things the right way and putting the cart of war behind the horse of service that we can't get past a forced military draft?

America is a nation of volunteers and individuals. Once we start compelling service, we've stepped backwards. You can be darn sure that if America got uglier I'd move to the next country and burn my U.S. passport in a heartbeat and never look back.

I'm willing to do for our country on a voluntary basis, but America had damn well better do something back for us. Once it's not voluntary any more, it's not America any more.

[Captain Hilts]

8. I generally agree, but it's a lot like buying a substitute to fight for you. nt

[Dr Fate]

11. But not like counting on someone to "volunteer" in your place. n/t

n/t

[Yavin4]

23. Actually no.

There are entire classes of people who would never be drafted even if there were a draft, the elderly, the handicap, women, etc. Yet, with a War Tax, they'd all have to sacrifice equally.

[spuddonna]

10. Hey, that's a great idea!

Makes good fiscal sense, and would definitely be incentive to not go to war!

[sinkingfeeling]

13. I was thinking right after the election that it's too bad we can't ask those

who voted for Bush in 2004 to send in an extra $10,000 a year with their income tax for the next two years to pay for the $1 trillion plus this occupation will have cost us. I think there were 60 million who voted for Bush, so 60,000,000 x $10,000 = $600 billion X 2 = $1.2 trillion.

[jody]

14. Another option, base taxes on the amount of financial wealth a person owns. One percent of the

population owns perhaps half our financial wealth so they should pay half the entire cost of operating our military.

Our Constitution says our government was established to "provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare".

In practice that has become "provide for the corporate defence, promote the corporate Welfare" where every major multinational corporation based in the U.S. is controlled by the one percent who own perhaps half our financial wealth.

[genie_weenie]

16. Wouldn't those with connections be

able to get out of a war tax in similar ways as they did the Draft? How about dismantling the foreign bases and the US military and the 500 billion plus riders it sucks up annually? When you have a standing military it becomes neccesary to use it.

[bowens43]

17. Better yet, let's stop invading other countries.

[Yavin4]

21. Well, This Will Help Stop That

The more wars we fight. The higher and higher taxes will go. So, if Americans want to invade and conquer North Korea or Iran, they will feel the pinch.

[Warren DeMontague]

25. I think the people who want a war should pay for it.

The people who want a drug war, who think keeping cancer-ridden grannies from smoking pot is worth $40 Billion a year, should pay for THAT.

Those of us who understand, conversely, that infrastructure and health care are the kinds of things government should help out with can pay for our own.

Obviously it wouldn't work, but tis nice to dream.

[JVS]

27. How about funding the war through sales of bonds to those who support it..

and leaving taxes out of the war. And also not sending people to die to make points