It’s about time to celebrate Independence day, the day we all came together as a nation and said, look, you over there. If we want to make tea from the filthy water of the Boston Harbor, you can’t stop us.

Or something like that.

Anyway, I’ve heard a lot about the socialist direction our country is taking, and I’m beginning to sympathize. Now, as far as I’m concerned, I see the arrangement I have with local, state, and Federal governments to be a bargain. I agree to submit to certain regulation — including taxation — and they agree to provide certain services and programs.

There are programs I benefit from directly, like vehicle safety inspections and water quality laws. There are those that benifit me indirectly, like medical research or public school education six states over. And there are other programs that I’d rather not fund, like abstinence education and food-pyramid building. But everything is kind of package deal and that’s fine. At least I can have my say about it, right?

It seems to me a no-brainer that people who live in and benefit from the shared resources of the community should be expected to pay back into that community. And not, you know, on a voluntary basis.

But I realize that most Americans didn’t actually choose this relationship. And they may not want to help pay for someone else’s health care, education, winter heating oil, or what have you. Taxing them is unjust. It makes them feel oppresed, it insults their sense of self-reliance, and it may (may!) even tempt them to be lazy good-for-nothings who sponge off the government.

I feel bad for them. No, really, I do. Stop laughing.

So what can we do for them? I have an idea. Unfortunately I’ll have to share it later, but the wheels are turning. If you have some ideas, the comments are open.