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What was the national debt to GDP ratio before income taxes were instituted? It wasn't even 10% between 1890 and 1910 --that's without the income tax.

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And life SUCKED then. Absolutely no labor rights, food filled with sawdust, income inequality, bank runs constantly, no retirement.

The national debt increased because we increased the amount of the federal government does, it the income tax.

No healthcare, no public research to today's extent, no military etc. etc. Yes when your government is doing nothing normally it doesn't cost that much.

When was there no military? When was the US government literally doing nothing?

> And life SUCKED then

More than 100% of the net improvement is from tech and medical R&D, not the bloated military-welfare apparatus.

What created the conditions for that R&D to take place in relative security, and to be realize its return in a global marketplace?

And Silicon Valley was originally majority weapons/ tech r&d for the military.

Bletchly Park? Military.

Are you saying income taxes lead to an increase in the national debt?

You know how people borrow on future income?

We were doing that before income taxes.

Hell, we were borrowing before we had states.

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