When I Get Rich

The IRS is not happy.

Even though 14,700 more people have come forward about their foreign bank accounts that they used for tax evasion, it's estimated that there are thousands more. According to MyStateline.com, "The voluntary disclosures are part of settlements of civil and criminal cases against the Swiss bank UBS AG. As part of the agreement, UBS provided the U.S. government agencies with the identities of their American account holders."

The American government is mad because when someone puts their money in an offshore bank account, they don't get taxed. (It's important to note that only rich and upper class citizens use this outlet). I think instead of seeing this as a greedy crime, the current administration should see this as a silent economic protest.

These Americans are putting their money offshore not for greed, but for protection. Our tax system is progressive, meaning that the rich people get taxed at a greater percentage than poor people do. How is this fair? Oh, right, it's not. When people use foreign bank accounts, they're trying to avoid being taxed into oblivion. By hiding some of their income, they are taxed more moderately.

Essentially, these Americans are afraid of the government, and the only means they have of protect themselves is hiding their money.

Progressive taxation is wrong. It's unfair on all ends. With a flat tax, or a tax percentage that is consistent throughout a population, the rich would still end up giving more money up to taxes, but it would be at the same percentage as the poor. Wouldn't that make more sense?

Apparently not. But when someone feels the need to protect themselves from their government, there's a problem. And unless space travel is commercialized soon, we've really got nowhere else to go.