Category: Responsibility

Should The Rich Be Taxed At A Higher Rate Than Others?

The question of whether the rich should be taxed at a higher rate than others is often discussed when people debate fairness and the role of government. Taxes paid by individuals, households, and businesses help fund public services such as schools, roads, healthcare, public transportation, local police, and national defense. Because everyone benefits from these services, governments must decide how the tax burden should be distributed.

Supporters of higher taxes on the rich often point to history as an example. During and after World War II, the United States had very high tax rates for the wealthiest Americans. In the 1950s, the top federal income tax rate was about 90 percent for the highest earners. However, this rate only applied to income above a certain, high level, not to all of a person’s income.

Supporters argue that people with higher incomes benefit greatly from systems that help businesses and the economy grow, such as reliable roads, educated workers, and a stable government. Because of this, they believe wealthy individuals should contribute a larger share to support these systems. They also say that higher taxes on the rich can help reduce the gap between rich and poor. Tax revenue can be used to support programs such as quality public education, expanded healthcare, and assistance for people with lower incomes.

Since the 1960s, tax rates for the highest earners have been reduced several times, with major reductions taking place in and since the 1980s. Some people believe these changes helped encourage business growth and investment. Others argue that lower tax rates have reduced government funding for public services and contributed to rising income inequality.

Critics of higher taxes on the rich argue that extremely high tax rates could discourage people from starting businesses, investing money, or working harder. Some believe everyone should pay taxes at the same rate because it treats all citizens equally. Others worry that very high taxes might cause wealthy individuals or businesses to move their money or investments to countries with lower tax rates.

The debate continues today. Where do you side? Should the rich be taxed at a higher rate than others?

Related questions: How do you feel about paying taxes? What should taxes be used for? Should a healthy society have billionaires? How much is enough?

What Do We Owe Animals?

Humans live alongside animals of all kinds, and have a very complicated relationship with them. Do we owe anything to them?

The exact relationship we have with animals varies wildly depending on which ones we are talking about.

Some we have driven to extinction, or very near it. The once plentiful bison was overhunted, as was the passenger pigeon. The former, with protections, managed a population comeback after near extinction, but the latter was not so lucky.

Others have thrived living — willingly or not — alongside humans. Pets, like cats and dogs, have fared well. So have rats, which have lived in or near human civilizations since the introduction of agriculture.

As human populations have increased and spread out, we often inhabit land that used to be the home for various animals. Thus, you see odd videos of a moose walking down a street, or a bear entering a grocery store.

These interactions raise a question: what should the relationship be, between humans and animals? A predator could pose a danger to humans. People die each year in animal attacks. Animals can also spread disease, and it seems likely that the COVID pandemic started when a virus made the jump from bats to humans.

Of course, humans are animals too. And we are all part of a larger ecosystem, which has evolved over millions of years, with each species having a role to play. Changing or eliminating those roles can have significant impact on the web of life on the planet.

Beyond that, there is the ethical question: do animals deserve to be treated respectfully? And if the answer is yes, what does that look like? What happens when they inevitably come into conflict with humans?

Related questions: Do animals have rights? Does nature have rights? How are humans like other animals? How are they different? What do we owe the future?

How Important Is Preservation?

To be able to learn from the past, we need to preserve it. But what happens when preservation keeps us from improving?

Most people are familiar with preservation, at least in basic form. If you live in a historic city or area, you are likely familiar with one or more buildings that have been designated a historical landmark.

Similarly, important historical figures often donate their papers and effects to a library. For instance, the Boston University’s Mugar Library has the papers, correspondence, and effects that belonged to noted author Isaac Asimov. They are preserved for historians to study.

Of course, preservation doesn’t have to be limited to famous people. You’ve probably thought about how you might preserve your own belongings. Perhaps you have a photo album, or keep postcards or letters you have received. Maybe you have a home safe or special location to store important documents. These might include the deed to a home, a wedding certificate, high school and/or college diploma, social security card, passport, and so on.

And yet, knowing what to keep and what to get rid of can be very difficult. Your email inbox, for instance, likely gets some important documents that you’d like to keep. Probably, it also gets flooded with unimportant messages of all kinds. Do you bother to sift through the contents to keep the wheat and eliminate the chaff? If not, is it because you don’t think it is worth your time?

Also, sometimes you have to tear down the old in order to build the new. Can we reconcile the need to save the past as well as make a better future?

Related questions: What possessions of yours will someone want when you die? What advice would you give your past self? Is life today better than in the past?

 

 

Should Voting Be Required?

Voting, whether it be in local, state, or federal elections, is optional. But should it be? Or should it be required?

In the United States, voter turnout tends to be rather poor. Even in high stakes elections, the number of people who choose not to vote outnumbers the votes tallied by any of the available candidates. ‘No vote’ would win every election.

There have been a number of proposed ways of increasing voter turnout. One possibility is to simply make voting mandatory. Once you are over the voting age, you will be expected to vote, and will face a penalty for not casting a ballot.

In your opinion, would this increase the quality and the outcome of elections? With an increase in the number of ballots cast, would the winning candidates more accurately reflect the populace? Or would the disinterested voter — the ones who are currently choosing not to vote — cast protest votes?

Would an uninformed, or unwilling, electorate produce worse outcomes? Or is a larger voting pool and more voters participating always a better thing? Should voting be required?

Related questions: How would you describe your civic life? What role should government play in our lives? Have you contacted an elected official?

How Can You Be More Responsible Online?

These days, we all live a significant amount of our lives online. That naturally raises the question: how can we be responsible in our online lives?

Despite the fact that we have steadily increased the amount of time we spend online, not much good has come of it.

On a personal basis, the promise of the internet was to bring people together, even if separated by thousands of miles. While that happens, an increasing percentage of users feel more lonely and isolated than ever before. It is also true that it is remarkably easy to have your identity stolen.

Things aren’t much better on a societal level, either. On the plus side, anyone with an internet connection has access to a remarkable amount of information. Unfortunately, there is also more misinformation available as well. Rumors, lies, and conspiracy theories spread more quickly online than does the truth.

So what can we do about it?

One thing is for each of us to be more responsible in our online lives. This responsibility extends to how we protect our own information, how we behave to other online users, and what information we consume and share with others.

What, specifically, do you do to guard your personal information? What do you do to see someone as an individual when all they are to you is pixels on a screen? And how do you make sure you are not falling prey to hoaxes and lies that you might encounter on your internet travels?

Related questions: Can an internet friend be a true companion? Why does social media often bring out the worst in us? Are you addicted to your phone? What is your bubble?