It's been more than a week since I had a debate with a friend regarding progressive income taxation versus flat income taxation. We went off on many subissues, including that some costs aren't dependent on income, and that some people aren't able to support families. My good friend argued that individuals have the right to raise a family even if they can't afford it, preferring to have the government subsidize it. I argued that such people who can't afford to raise families have no business raising a family. They need to have the personal responsibility to plan their families and not have children whom they can't afford to feed, clothe, and educate. Nowhere in the Constitution is it stated that one of the government's jobs is to subsidize procreation.

I don't think either of us moved much from our original stances before the debate (and yes, I do have liberal friends, ladies and gentlemen), but one issue really stood out in my mind. At one point, he asked me who is printed on the money. The question puzzled me. Well, that depends on which bill you're holding.

Of course, on all US bills, the name of our republic is gloriously emblazoned in commanding font. The argument goes that the money ultimately belongs to the United States, a point to which I must dissent. Money belongs to the people who earn it. Period. Until the left realizes that money belongs to the people who earn it, the concept of progressive taxation will continue to plague us.