The American Spectator

p> GOING IT ALONE br> Re: W. James Antle III’s All the Taxpayers Left Alone : /p>

One of the reasons I participate in this site is that I find so many of the ideas bizarre, and Grover Norquist’s are no exception. The Leave Us Alone Coalition might more aptly be called the I’m All Right Jack Coalition. Yet it has long puzzled me why wealthy conservatives such as Mr. Norquist, William F. Buckley, Jr., and the entire Bush clan care in the slightest about taxation. Once any savvy American reaches a certain threshold of investment assets, which isn’t all that difficult to attain in my opinion, they can reasonably expect their net worth to increase over time regardless of tax policy, as long as their spending habits aren’t excessive. And if they like shooting guns, they can always find ways to do it, despite laws restricting their use by the hoi polloi. They can even belong to kooky religious cults if they like.

p>This leads me to believe that the underlying idea of anti-tax conservatism is the familiar “greed is good” with a touch of “ain’t America great.” For the Christians among you, I remind you that greed isn’t good. For the jingoists among you, I can only say that America ain’t that great. Human nature is more or less uniform throughout the world, and it was only an accident of history that placed the United States at the pinnacle of wealth and military power. If you pay attention to the emerging markets, you’ll have to conclude that this charmed state of affairs isn’t going to last forever, regardless of the tax code or which party wins elections. Instead of whining about taxes and big government, wealthy conservatives should start thinking about foreign investments. br> — Paul Dorell br> Evanston, Illinois /p> p> Grover is also, from my experience with his “Politics” column in the past, one of the most economic and concise writers I’ve ever read. Uncanny ability to provide the most information with the least clutter; the clarity and sharpness of organization are impeccable. br> — Scott Horn