Yeah, but the 16th did more than legalize income taxes.  It also struck down proportionality and allowed for collecting and spending tax money in ways that don't affect all citizens equally.  It was a giant step towards socialism and the nanny style of government, plus it opened many doors for special interest groups to influence politicians and laws, especially tax laws.

   To me, it was a watershed event in our history and led to most of the things that we complain about today, including the redistribution of wealth from the productive class to the non-productive class (both the welfare state and the government bureaucracy).  It allowed progressive taxation for the first time, so certain economic classes of people could be targeted for either higher or lower taxes relative to other citizens.  Certain industries or businesses could also win or lose relative to others, and it opened the door to a lot of corruption, not to mention subsidies.  It made things like TARP possible, and lets someone in the government pick economic winners and losers.  All this was stuff specifically prohibited in the original constitution as being outside of what we wanted government to be allowed to do.

   Oh, well, no use crying over spilt milk.  The thing to do now is to play the game with the rules that exist and hope the country doesn't collapse or become fascist.  I just wish that someday one of the people I vote for actually wins an election and we can reverse the slide while there is still time.

PB wrote:   I just wish that someday one of the people I vote for actually wins an election and we can reverse the slide while there is still time.

DidYouKnow writes:  This to imply that McCain would have "reversed the slide", or those you voted for would have been any better that anyone else?  That's a hefty assertion.

In reality, the slide has been slowed, and getting slower.  Reversal of anything takes time, plenty of it.  (S-M hit 10,000 today....)

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PB wrote:  It allowed progressive taxation for the first time, so certain economic classes of people could be targeted for either higher or lower taxes relative to other citizens.

DidYouKnow writes:  And why was this done?  The lesser, lesser, lesser, lesser of evils?  There is much to agree with concerning the progressive tax structure.  It came about via debate and process; and is not set in stone.  If contrary arguments can win the debate and process, then the formulae can change.