I'm going to explain how a tax on a broad base is better than multiple taxes on narrow bases, and also how focusing on a broad commandment is better than focusing on various narrow commandments.
One big uniform tax on something that applies to a lot of people, like property, income, consumption, or all sales, is more efficient than many varying taxes. For example, an income tax (even if it is progressive) that gathers one trillion dollars is better than a 4% tax on blueberries, 8% tax on Chinese imports, 3% tax on French imports, etc. which gathers one trillion dollars. I'll explain 3 reasons for this:
1. The most basic economic reason, though also the hardest to understand, is that when one broad base is taxed we don't have a lot of substitutes. If apples and blueberries have the same tax, then I'm not substituting apples for blueberries because of a difference in tax rates. Due to this lack of lower-tax substitutes, we purchase things we normally would in the amounts we normally would. And with this less distorted consumption, we are buying things for which there is the greatest possible economic surplus, purchasing things according to their cost and the utility or joy they bring us.
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| flikr.com |
2. Another reason is transparency about how much the government is taking. Seeing that the tax rate you pay moved from 20% to 25% makes it clear that government is growing. On the other hand, a jumble of changes like higher taxes on some imports, lower income tax, higher sales tax etc. makes it hard to hold Congress accountable for its overall performance. Of course, you can look up total US Government spending, but people often don’t think to without seeing its direct impact on their income.
3. My last reason for one big tax is that the government cannot manipulate as much, and so it prevents corruption. If the government is allowed to lower taxes on dairy and increase taxes on sugar, then it has the power to get an industry to do what it wants, such as fund a certain politician's campaign. One big tax doesn't give the government as much power to pick favorites.
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| wikipedia.org |
How does this relate to focusing on broad rather than narrow commandments? Love is the broad commandment that we should follow, and all the other commandments should fall into place as we obey that commandment. President Thomas S. Monson said "love is the very essence of the gospel, and Jesus Christ is our Exemplar." I believe that if we make this our main focus, then our other goals will lead to lasting success. Without this overarching goal, we may find that we are doing some bad substituting, like neglecting family to improve our education or vice versa. Doing what Jesus would do and following promptings from the Holy Ghost is the sure way to get us where we want to go.
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| flikr.com |
Of course, specific goals of varying time frames will help us to achieve our long-term goals. But I have found that I get a lot of peace and direction throughout my flurries of studying and other activities if I reflect on the broader commandment to love God, and feel His love, either through reading the scriptures, attending the temple or church, and praying.
Summed up, just as one big broad tax is more efficient and makes clear what the overall tax system is doing, focusing on the big broad commandment of loving God is more efficient and makes clear our overall spiritual progress.
