In the past 10 years, this work has returned more than $12 billion to victims of crime and to the U.S. Treasury. If he worked anywhere else, Koopman would probably be celebrated. But he’s employed by the Internal Revenue Service, the arm of government that even its commissioner, Danny Werfel, describes as “iconically unpopular.”
Lewis, Michael. Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service (p. 132). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Is there anyone besides me who likes paying his taxes? Taxes provide the resources for our governments to provide the services which we Americans need and want in common. This common well being is what holds our democracy together and promotes the quality of life for all. The opposite of this common pooling of resources for the common good is privatization which is the basis for capitalism which shifts society’s resources to the select wealthy few for personal benefit.
As a society what do we value more: the common good or personal aggrandizement? Most Americans admire and aspire to personal aggrandizement and therein lies the sickness of American society.
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