The Whigs knew that if Parliament had the power of taxation without their representation, government would transmogrify into a beast with an insatiable appetite for the liberty and money of the people. They were interested in political power and what they could do once they got their hands into the deep pockets of America. When Bush talks about reform or taxes he rarely uses language that casts doubt on what government does or how wasteful programs are. Republicans are constantly on the defensive because they accept the language of liberalism and let Democrats define the debate. The Whigs knew that taxation is ultimately an argument about what is moral.
Taxes are the product of innovation, entrepreneurship, labor, blood, sweat and tears.
Government then collects from us this time and effort in innumerable federal income taxes, state and local assessments, fees, levies, tolls, licenses, dues, excises, payroll taxes, capital gains taxes, even death taxes. This is the heart of any debate about taxation. In Washington today, few men or women defend this simple idea. Democrats measure compassion by how much is spent. Meanwhile, the Republican Party can't even find the words or the reasons for the liberty it routinely surrenders.