True and Falsies

The income tax is the price we pay for living in society.

False.  There is no price for living in society.  We are born into society and spend our entire lives in it.  It is our natural state and therefore comes without a price tag.

The income tax is the price we pay for civilization.

False.  Our country had schools, sewers, streets that were lit and paved, public health services, libraries, police, firefighters, a military, etc., before we had an income tax.  Civilization and its bells and whistles preceded the income tax.

The income tax redistributes wealth from the top down.

False.  "Since 1980...interest payments [on the national debt] have represented the largest transfer of wealth ever, from the people who pay taxes to the people who own the debt and collect interest on it. More accurately, the money goes from middle-income and lower-income taxpayers to upper-income investors."  (from America: Who Really Pays the Taxes?, Barlett & Steele, 1994)

According to the New York Times, in 2011 there were over 100,000 individuals with incomes over $200,000 who paid no income tax.  How can the income tax redistribute wealth from the top down if the wealthy aren't paying it to begin with?  The fact is, they hoard theirs and collect ours.

The income tax is the price we pay for our own ignorance, and our apathy regarding our own freedom.

True.

The income tax was a great idea and should go on forever.

False.  It only looks good in theory.  It was sold as a tax that would help close the gap between rich and poor, that would only be applied to the wealthiest 2% of the population.  If you've been keeping up with the news at all, you should be laughing right now.  The income tax has had a 100-year run and has never delivered on its lofty promises.  In fact, it operates in complete opposition to those promises.  At its best, it enriches the wealthiest Americans and feeds the military/industrial complex (which is simply another tool used by the rich to increase their wealth).  At its worst, the income tax pushes down the standard of living for the rest of us and increases the gap between rich and poor.  The income tax should be abolished.