- The problem here is, you have already dismissed everyone who might disagree with your world view as having an axe to grind, but I'll try a bit anyway.

That's not true. If it came across that way, it was unintended.

- Regarding your job, and more specifically your income, the problem is that an income tax presupposes that the government has a right to the fruits of your labor. It is not that taxes are new, or even that income taxes are new, but rather that they represent a form of slavery. If I brought over a poor person from a third world country and told them the price (for bringing them here) was that they would pay me 20% of everything they make for their lives, I would be arrested and likely jailed for enslaving another person. Just because our government isn't a private person doesn't give them any more right to enslave people than anyone else. Lest my argument be derailed because I mentioned slavery, go back to my first point, it is the crux of my point.

Sure, if you took 20% of everything from someone and gave them nothing in return, something would be terribly wrong. Are you saying you get nothing for your taxes? It's good to know you have no need of infrastructure at all. As for you comparing it to slavery... the mind boggles.

- It's only limited by what they think they can get away with.

Precisely!

- I think everyone should be much angrier about these things than they are.

I think the American population should be angrier, but only if that anger is well-directed, and actually is more than just helpless anger. It's fair to say most of America is angry about our present course in many areas. It's also fair to say most of them will do absolutely nothing about it, including voting.