Wednesday - February 07, 2007

Should We Have a Terrorism Tax?

Or Shared Burden 

Senator Lieberman, one of the few sane Democratic voices on Iraq, suggests that there should be a tax to support the war on terror.

Lieberman had this say:

I think we have to start thinking about a war on terrorism tax," the independent Connecticut lawmaker said. "I mean people keep saying we're not asking a sacrifice of anybody but our military in this war and some civilians who are working on it."

"When you put together the (Pentagon) budget and the Homeland Security budgets, we need to ask people to help us in a way that they know when they pay more it will go for their security," he said during a Senate panel hearing on the defense budget request.

This tax to fight Islamic terror, is a good idea.  President Bush, in the days after the Muslim attack on America in 2001, should have asked for some form of sacrifice to galvanize American anger.  Among other things, he should have called for several hundred thousand volunteers to man the army to fight the war on terror and secondly, he should have called for a national tax to fund the war.  Unfortunately, he did neither.

There are several reasons I like this idea.  It does create a sense of national unity.  In a virtuous republic, there is a need for sacrifice.  During war, a moral republic cannot continue at home as if nothing is going on abroad.  That simply reeks of narcissism.   A tax would also, even a token tax, help defray the rising costs of the war.  How about some sin taxes?  Make people feel just a little guilty about going on with everyday life while are troops are giving their lives in battle.   A 5¢ tax on each cup of coffee at Starbucks.  A five dollar admission fee to casinos.  A 30% flat tax on executives who are given a $ 210 million parting bonus or mediocre pitchers who are given a $ 36 million contract. A 10% surcharge on $6 million homes.

Some may argue that a war tax isn't "conservative."  I'd argue that not, even in some small way, supporting the war effort is immoral.  And the bottom line is that conservatism is about more than just market economies.

Trackposted to Wake Up America, Blue Star Chronicles, Outside the Beltway, Renaissance Blogger, The Pink Flamingo, Maggie's Notebook, and Pursuing Holiness, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.