I offer, for your consideration, the historic decline of one notable civilization and its relationship to increased taxation, namely the Roman Empire.

We can cite specific examples of the system of taxation exceeding the ability of its people to pay.  The decline of that society unfolded slowly.  In fact it is fully recorded that Romans experienced relief when invaders came because they were  regarded as freeing them from the increased taxation and overwhelming  monetary jeopardy in which they found themselves.

Of course famine, disease, and rebellion also played extraordinary roles in the shift of power and the ultimate disappearance of some societies.  Class warfare, initiated by rebellious, poverty stricken populations marked the first signs of a society fraying at the edges, and began the movement out of the existing societal structure.

Rome ended as it began a slow death due to ever increasing taxes and inept bureacracy.  The strain of the need to fund the state's financial burdens made it increasingly difficult for successful individuals to hold onto their profits.  More and more was 'rendered unto Caesar'.

The people, oppressed by excessive taxation, experienced the ultimate demise of their empire.  

Those politically and socially destructive currents that swept Rome are at work in the U.S. today; namely a severely declining economy following long battles to defend the nation's constitutional interests.  

Those who have worked hard to realize a profit and accumulate some coin have now found themselves embattled.

Augustus' reign worked to reverse much of the burden felt under Ceasar.  It allowed individuals more freedom to accumulate their own wealth.  He realized that investing money into infrastructure was sound, but, more importantly, that those who worked to make a profit deserved to hold onto their financial security.  Free market and trade enterprise exceeded the benefits that took the form of handouts within the empire.

Augustus gave the free market, and the common man, incentive to turn a dollar.

The present tax and spend scenario, and attendant economic policies have played out over and over again in world history. 

Could we learn the lesson.  

It steps out of the philosophical debates and discussions and provides data to support free markets,  less government, and is antithetical to socialist philosophy.  The empires of Great Britain, France, the list goes on,  experienced a peak which then fell apart because everyone was attempting to suck the blood out of the establishment.

Lessons to be learned here.  Are we going to open our minds and chart  a course for our nations success, or are we, and the Obama Administration going to continue to tax and spend and drive this nation further 

in the wrong direction?

The path we are currently on is the wrong one.  

Increased taxation and increased government waste and spending is not the answer for putting our 
once healthy nation back on track.  

This is not subjective.  Simply a fact.