Is this Glenn's favorite show on TV?

June 21, 2013

Writer

One of Glenn's favorite TV shows is Pawn Stars, and this morning on radio, he interviewed one of the stars of the show, Rick Harrison. There is no question that Rick is a tough negotiator, but Glenn respects his fairness. Rick explained his business philosophy and revealed some of the incredible government bureaucracy his company has endured.

Full Transcript of interview is below:

GLENN: We are ‑‑ it's Friday and we're going to take a different tack today. We're going to talk about, I think if I had to name my favorite show on television and I watch such little television, I mean really I don't think I ever get a chance to watch a full episode of anything, my favorite show on television has to be Pawn Stars. I was a fan of Antiques Road Show but that was like, I don't know, I felt I had to wear an ascot and be in a robe.

PAT: Oh, this is so much better than Antiques Road Show.

GLENN: Yeah, but it's the same ‑‑ it's the same thing. They bring in really cool stuff and you get to see really cool stuff, but this one has an attitude to it.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: And it's like for regular people. But the stuff that they show and the things that you see on the show are just fantastic.

PAT: What I like about it is Rick is a brutal negotiator. Somebody will come in and they will tell you their thing is worth, you know, "This is the original flag that George Washington rode into battle with against the British at Yorktown." Really? Okay. Uh, what do you want for it? What do you want to do with it?

GLENN: I want to sell it.

PAT: What do you want?

GLENN: $198,000.

PAT: Not gonna happen. I'll give you $12.

STU: (Laughing.)

GLENN: Usually gets it for 11.

PAT: Yes. And they wind up, you know, and you see them interviewed before they go in and, "I'm not gonna take a Penny under $194,000." "I'll give you $15." "Okay."

STU: (Laughing.)

GLENN: And I love the people who don't sell. It's usually the crap you wouldn't want to buy anyway because the crap ‑‑ and they're like, "I wouldn't take it. I'm not going to be insulted by him saying that it was a complete fake." It says ‑‑ it's the Declaration of Independence and it says made in China on the back.

We have Rick Harrison on the phone. Hi, Rick, how are ya?

HARRISON: I'm doing great this morning.

GLENN: Good to talk to you. I'm just such a huge fan and I actually, we spoke off the air, I don't know, a few weeks ago and I said to you ‑‑ because I watch your show and I'm like, man, I want to develop a relationship with Rick because I want to know when you get stuff like that in there, I want to be on your call list because we're putting together a museum and I want to know if you're getting really cool, unique stuff. But mainly the stuff, Rick, that most people, you know, you would never see it in a museum because people are like, "Oh, that's just, that's silly, that's..." and I've seen a couple of things where I'm like, this is one of the coolest pieces of history I've ever seen.

HARRISON: I actually think I bought probably the coolest thing I ever bought since I've had the pawn shop a couple of weeks ago actually. It was a ‑‑ it was a contemporary copy. General Lee from the South, his father was George Washington's main general during the Whiskey Rebellion, and George Washington wrote him a letter. You would ‑‑ once you see the episode, you will be amazed. He basically wrote him a letter saying "These are the powers of the government. You know, I have to go to Washington. I have to do everything in the government. These are the powers that should be the army, this should be the powers of civil court," and this general, you know, thought it was so important that he made a contemporary copy. It's not the actual copy by George Washington. That would be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. But this was ‑‑ he thought the letter was so important, that he made a copy for himself and put it in his own records.

PAT: Wow.

GLENN: So ‑‑

HARRISON: So it's a pretty amazing letter.

GLENN: So Rick ‑‑

HARRISON: I'll send you a copy of it.

GLENN: I'd love to ‑‑ I'd love to see it. You have to come out here sometime. I know you're really super busy because you do more than that show. You also ‑‑ how many shows do you ‑‑ how many shows are you responsible for now on TV?

HARRISON: I work on, like, three other shows, I'm producing some other shows. Was going to ‑‑ was going to produce another show but the ‑‑ the BLM decided because of sequester I couldn't pay the government for a filming permit on government land, which is insane to me, but ‑‑

GLENN: Oh, my gosh.

HARRISON: That's another story.

GLENN: Would you mind telling the story, Rick, about ‑‑ speaking about a control government, of your expansion? Are you willing to tell that story about your expansion of your business?

HARRISON: Well, it's everything. You know, I go to ‑‑ you know, over the years, you know, this show has just kept on getting bigger and bigger and bigger, more and more customers. I need to expand my showroom. Luckily I wanted to tear down a wall, okay? Because right behind that wall I had warehouse space to turn into the showroom. $400,000 to tear down a wall.

GLENN: What?

PAT: Jeez.

HARRISON: I mean, these are the things I run into. Put a new sign out in front of my building. 6 bucks.

PAT: To put a sign in front of the building?

HARRISON: Oh, yeah, because ‑‑

PAT: Is that for the permit process and all that nonsense?

HARRISON: The permit process and everything and they come back, well, you're on a scenic byway, you're in a historical district, you need to go in front of 20 different committees.

PAT: Jeez.

HARRISON: And, you know, "Oh, we're going to have to change your sign here, change your sign here, change your sign here." And it just never ends. I mean ‑‑

GLENN: When did we go wrong, Rick? When did we go wrong? When do you think we started going wrong?

HARRISON: Because every legislature and every congress thinks, oh, we need more laws, we need more laws, we need more laws. And it just comes to a point where it just grinds business to a standstill.

I wanted to produce a show in Southern California. It was on government land. It's a ‑‑ it was about off‑roading and stuff like that. People off‑road there every day. I went, you know, and ‑‑ you know, even a small reality show employs 100 people.

GLENN: Mmm‑hmmm.

HARRISON: The BLM comes back and says, "No, we can't issue a film permit because of the sequester." So I said, "Let me get this straight. I'm going to pay you $250 a day to film and..."

GLENN: You can't ‑‑

HARRISON: "‑‑ you can't do it because of budget cuts?"

PAT: Jeez.

HARRISON: He mean, this is what we deal with nowadays.

GLENN: I mean, you're in Nevada which, jeez, man, you have legalized prostitution. You would think that Nevada would be ‑‑ would be okay to work in. Is Nevada okay?

HARRISON: Nevada's better than most states. I have a lot of friends that make very good money. They're just packing up out of California and leaving. They cannot deal with it anymore.

GLENN: I know.

HARRISON: You know, I said, yeah, come on up. Help our economy out.

GLENN: I know.

HARRISON: I mean, it's government in general. I mean, all the way from ‑‑ where I was filming the television show was Southern California, but it was on federal land. But it's government on every level, you know. It's business, it's the EPA. The EPA would rather, you know, close down a factory in the United States that puts out some air pollution, okay? They would rather close that down and have the same factory open in China with ten times the air pollution. It's all the same air we breathe. There's no sense to it all.

GLENN: Do you ‑‑ I was in Washington D.C. this week and for the first time I saw a difference in the capitol police. I mean, we've always been friends with the police. We have ‑‑ I have good relationships. We do fundraisers for the police and the sheriffs and everybody else, and we have always ‑‑ I believe in a good strong police department. Rat the bad guys out. Don't punish all the police. Rat the bad guys out and get them off the force. And when I was in Washington, between the permits and the way the Department of Homeland Security and the capitol police treated people and even looked at the people that were standing there for the Constitution, I've never seen anything like it. And now when you start to say, "I don't know if I can trust the police" or "I don't know if I can trust the judicial system," I mean, you're in a different world, man.

HARRISON: Umm, it's all the bureaucracy. I mean, I have a close family member that something really bad happened to her. I'll even say his name. He's pleaded guilty to forceable sexual abuse in Utah. And this guy was charged four years ago; hasn't spent a day in jail because of all the bureaucracy.

GLENN: Wait. Wait a minute, wait. He pleaded guilty to forced sexual abuse, he pleaded guilty?

HARRISON: Yes.

GLENN: And he hasn't ‑‑ he hasn't spent a day in jail yet? Four years?

HARRISON: No, because he ‑‑ because he asked to have his psychosexual evaluation before they can sentence him.

GLENN: Oh, dear God.

HARRISON: And that was in February. They're saying it's now delayed until September. And mind you, he doesn't have to register as a sex offender until he's sentenced.

GLENN: Where in Utah is this happening? Who's the judge? Who's the judge? Where is it?

HARRISON: Okay, the judge is St. George, Utah. It's southern Utah. Wallace A. Lee. He literally let this person ‑‑ you know, I mean, you would think once he pled guilty, okay, we're going to remand you to custody until ‑‑

PAT: Yeah.

HARRISON: You know, until you're sentenced. So ‑‑

GLENN: Is Wallace A. Lee, is that the judge or is that the ‑‑

HARRISON: That's the judge. The ‑‑ well, I was going to call him ‑‑ we're on the radio. I'm sorry. I almost said something else.

GLENN: Well, no. He pleaded guilty to sexual ‑‑ what was it, sexual assault, sexual ‑‑

HARRISON: Felony sexual abuse. This was a plea bargain, by the way.

GLENN: Felony sexual abuse?

HARRISON: There was over seven felony assault charges against him and, you know, his name is Richard Burdette. The ‑‑ and I'm on the phone the other day to the prosecutor and I'm going, "What is the problem here?" And they go, "Well, they need this psychosexual evaluation to see if he's going to reoffend."

GLENN: The guy plead ‑‑ the guy pleaded guilty!

HARRISON: He pleaded guilty and they want him to talk to a psychologist to see if he's going to reoffend. You really think he's going to tell the psychologist the truth?

PAT: I mean, he's create sexual assault but he's not a liar, you know? These guys draw the line somewhere.

HARRISON: This is what you're dealing with where we have to ‑‑

GLENN: So hang on just a second. I'm trying to understand. This is ‑‑ what's the judge's name again?

HARRISON: Wallace A. Lee.

GLENN: Wallace A. Lee. So you're telling me that the judge in St. George, Utah, Wallace A. Lee, is actually saying, "Well, before I give him his penalty, I want to make sure that he ‑‑ that he's already learned his lesson." He's learned his lesson? You haven't even punished him yet. He's learning ‑‑ he is learning. Hey, judge, he is learning a lesson here. You're teaching him a very important lesson. So he's ‑‑ I'm going to listen to him, we want to talk to him, we want to make sure the psychiatrists talk to him to see if he's learned his lesson before we've given him any punishment at all. So then, what, he'll lessen the sentence? Is that the idea?

HARRISON: I have no idea. And you know we ‑‑ you know he's not going to go to a psychologist and say, you know, "I like having sex with children." "No, I'm all better." It's the insanity of our legal system. You know, a DUI is a very, very bad thing and I think those people should be punished, but he would have spent more time in jail if he got a DUI.

GLENN: Wow.

HARRISON: And there's other things too. I mean, you have young kids who do something stupid and you give them a ‑‑ you give them a record for the rest of their life, as opposed to what we used to do is, "Hey, put the kid in the military; he'll be all right." That's what they ended up doing to my dad and he ended up being a great person to society. So every ‑‑

GLENN: I don't think your dad likes you too much, though. I see your dad.

HARRISON: My dad is the greatest guy in the world.

GLENN: No, he really is. He really is.

HARRISON: He gets up ‑‑ even if there is nothing for him to do at work, he is there at 6:30 in the morning with a suit on.

PAT: Wow.

GLENN: You know what's really great, what I love about it is you guys work hard, you're honest, you don't ‑‑ you're not cheating anybody. I've never seen anything where you're trying to get the leg up on a deal. And you're straight up with people. That's why, you know, Pat said you're brutal at negotiating. No, you're just honest: Dude, this is what it's worth; I have to resell it.

PAT: Well, and you've got to make money.

GLENN: I have to make money.

PAT: Have to make money.

GLENN: That's all it is.

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: And you win because of the two lessons I've learned from very wealthy people: One, never get emotionally attached to anything. You don't want ‑‑ you don't need it, you don't want it that much; don't get emotionally attached to something. It's just something ‑‑ something else will come along. And the second thing is, is just be straight‑up honest and be willing to walk away. Never bluff. Be willing to walk away from the table. How is that a ‑‑

HARRISON: Well, I mean ‑‑ yeah, I've always told ‑‑ I mean, I've told people this in a million interviews and people I know: The deal's not right, the deal's not right.

GLENN: Yep.

PAT: Yeah.

HARRISON: Just plain and simple it's not. And, you know, I own a small business and I ‑‑ well, the government considers me a medium business now.

STU: Congratulations.

HARRISON: And I've been in business for over 25 years and I really truly believe in that whole six degrees of separation you're honest and good to your employees, good to your customers, it's good for business.

GLENN: I tell you, Rick, I would really, I would really love ‑‑ I'm coming out to Vegas I think next week, I think we're doing ‑‑

PAT: Next Friday I think we're doing it.

GLENN: I'm doing some stuff with the people ‑‑ I don't know if you've ever heard fly‑by Foy but they are the people who do all the fly‑by wire stuff for Cirque du Soleil.

HARRISON: Okay.

GLENN: And they are working on a show with me, Man in the Moon, and I have to, they have to tear it all ‑‑

HARRISON: Are you going to start doing back flips in the air and stuff like that?

GLENN: You'd be surprised what you're going to see.

PAT: Oh, he's limber ‑‑ limber.

GLENN: Before they break it down, I have to go see it myself in Vegas before they ship it out. And so I'm going to be in town. I'd love to stop by and shake your hand and just stroll through your ‑‑ stroll through your place. But I'm not bringing my wallet.

STU: (Laughing.)

GLENN: I'm not bringing my wallet.

HARRISON: Well, come by and maybe I'll bring you to lunch.

GLENN: All right, man. Thank you. Rick, I appreciate it. Keep up the good work. You guys are doing a great, great job. And let us know what happens. Let us know what happens with Judge Lee and the dirtbag.

HARRISON: I will. Talk to you later.

GLENN: Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

5 videos that reveal the WOKE GARBAGE being taught to our kids

School today is not like it used to be...

Glenn recently covered how our medical schools have been taken over by gender-affirming, anti-racist, woke garbage, and unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. Education at all levels has been compromised by progressive ideology. From high-level university academics to grade school, American children are constantly being bombarded by the latest backward propaganda from the left. Luckily, in the age of Zoom classes and smartphones, it's harder for teachers to get away their agenda in secret. Here are five videos that show just how corrupt schools really are:

Woke teacher vandalizes pro-life display

Professor Shellyne Rodriguez, an art professor at Hunter College in New York, was caught on camera having a violent argument with a group of pro-life students who were tabling on campus. Rodriguez was later fired from her position after threatening a reporter from the New York Post, who was looking into this incident, with a machete.

Woke professor argues with student after he called police heroes

An unnamed professor from Cypress College was captured having a heated discussion with a student over Zoom. The professor verbally attacked the student, who had given a presentation on "cancel culture" and his support of law enforcement. The university later confirmed that the professor was put on leave after the incident.

Professor goes on Anti-Trump rant

Professor Olga Perez Stable Cox was filmed by a student going on an anti-Trump rant during her human-sexuality class at Orange Coast College. This rant included Professor Cox describing Trump's election as "an act of terrorism”. The student who filmed this outburst was suspended for an entire semester along with several other punishments, including a three-page apology essay to Professor Cox explaining his actions. Orange Coast College continues to defend Professor Cox, citing the student code of conduct.

Unhinged teacher caught on video going on left-wing political rant

Lehi High School teacher Leah Kinyon was filmed amid a wild, left-wing rant during a chemistry class. Kinyon made several politically charged remarks, which included encouraging students to get vaccinated and calling President Trump a "literal moron." Despite her claims that the school admins "don't give a crap" about her delusional ramblings, a statement from Lehi High School reveals that she "is no longer an employee of Alpine School District."

Far-left Berkeley law professor melts down when a Senator asks her if men can get pregnant

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Berkeley Law Professor Khiara M. Bridges was asked by Missouri Senator Josh Hawley to clarify earlier statements involving "people with a capacity for pregnancy." The senator's line of questioning is met with a long-winded, frantic rant accusing the senator of being transphobic. When Sen. Hawley tries to clarify further, Professor Bridges makes the outrageous claim that such a line of questioning somehow leads to trans suicides.

Woke ideology trumps medicine in America's top 5 medical schools

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Progressive ideology has infected our most prestigious medical schools and is seeping into our medical system.

As Glenn covered in his latest TV special, "diversity, equity and inclusion" (DEI), and leftist rhetoric have overtaken science and medicine as the focus of medical schools across the nation. The next generation of doctors and nurses is being force-fed DEI and "anti-racist" nonsense at the expense of slipping standards. This has led to a decline in people's trust in the medical industry and for good reason. Woke ideology has already been the driving force behind at least one medical malpractice case, and more are undoubtedly on the way.

All of this is being spearheaded by universities, which have integrated DEI practices into the fabric of their programs. Our top medical schools now require students and staff to participate in mandatory DEI and "anti-racist" classes and training and are adjusting the standards to reflect this new shift in focus. Here are 5 statements from the top American medical schools that show that medicine is no longer their primary focus:

Harvard Medical School

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Taken from the Harvard University "Unconscious bias" resource page:

“As members of HMS, we each have a responsibility to create an inclusive community that values all individuals. Barriers to inclusion may include assumptions we make about others that guide our interactions. Recognizing our Unconscious Bias is a critical step in developing a culture of equity and inclusion within HMS and in our partnerships with other communities.”

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

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Pulled from the JHM Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity blog:

“One-hour live, virtual unconscious bias training ... [w]ill be required at all Johns Hopkins Health System (JHHS) entities for managers and above; hospital nurse leaders; credentialed providers (such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners); and for school of medicine faculty and trainees (including residents, fellows, medical and graduate students, and research postdocs), as well as those at a manager level or above.”

Stanford University School of Medicine

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Found on the Stanford Medicine Commission on Justice and Equity page:

“The Commission on Justice and Equity—composed of external and internal leaders, experts, and advocates—represents an institution-wide, collaborative effort to dismantle systemic racism and discrimination within our own community and beyond.”

Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

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Taken from the Penn Medicine Commitment to Inclusion, Equity, and Antiracism site:

“We openly acknowledge the role of structural forces of oppression as primary drivers of the disparate health outcomes. We believe that working to reverse the underrepresentation of historically excluded groups is critical in achieving equitable health outcomes. While this is an ongoing journey for our program, here are some of the tangible steps we have taken to achieve an inclusive culture”

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

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Pulled from the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, Justice, and Anti-Racism page:

"Courses are being revised to be more inclusive and informed by the key principle of race as a social construct and a social determinant of health. We are training faculty that Anti-Racism is not an add-on to a course. Anti-Racism is a pedagogy - a manner of teaching, designing courses, and measuring learning outcomes. We make sure that the classroom environment is inclusive by holding space for respectful conversation and ensuring that we address any “classroom ruptures”– a disorienting dilemma or situation when a bias or microaggression that may occur, providing real time opportunities for professional development, learning, and growth. Racist actions and remarks are never tolerated at Columbia University and will be dealt with following established protocols."

Critical theory destroys truth and justice

Editor's note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Critical theory once stood out as the absurd progressive notion that it is. Now, its maxims are becoming an integral part of ordinary political discourse. The more you repeat a lie, the more you will believe it, and this is the very dangerous place in which we find ourselves today.

Take this critical theory maxim as an example: If we desire justice, we must sometimes champion what may appear superficially as injustice. It's a necessary evil, if you will, the necessity of “controlled injustice.”

By using truth through fabrication and controlled injustice for justice, we’ll save the republic. We’ll be acting in a noble way.

This definition of justice is defined by the “oppressed,” not the “oppressor.” It is the greatest happiness for the greatest number. To achieve this justice, however, we need to endorse acts on occasion that, while seemingly unjust, serve a higher purpose. It will ensure the stability and the unity of our republic, and this may manifest in ways that seem contradictory to our values. But these are the necessary shadows to cast light on “true justice.”

And isn’t that what we are all after, anyway?

Here’s another critical theory maxim: Sometimes we find the truth through fabrication. Our pursuit of truth sometimes requires a strategic use of falsehoods. The truth is a construct that has been shaped and tailored to promote the well-being of the collective.

We sometimes need to accept and propagate lies designed by "the system” — not the old system, but the system that we’re now using to replace the old to get more justice through injustice and more truth through fabrication.

We’re engaging in a higher form of honesty. When we fabricate, it’s for the right reason. We are reaching up to the heavens fighting for a higher sort of honesty. To fortify the truth, we occasionally must weave a tapestry of lies. Each thread, essential for the greater picture, will ultimately define our understanding and ensure our unity under this infallible wisdom.

The election is coming up. Does this maxim sound familiar? Many think it is imperative that we secure our republic through election control to maintain our republic. Sometimes, we might need to take actions that by traditional standards might be questionable.

The act of securing elections requires cheating. It's not mere deception. It is a noble act of safeguarding our way of life. We're on the verge of losing this democracy, and without deception, we will lose it.

To ensure it doesn't fall into the hands of those we know will destroy it, we may have to make a few fabrications. We're fabricating stories to be able to control or secure the republic through our elections. By using truth through fabrication and controlled injustice for justice, we'll save the republic. Therefore, we'll be acting in a noble way. Stealing an election from those who wish to harm our society is truly an act of valor and an essential measure to protect our values and ensure the continuation of our just society.

If we desire justice, we must sometimes champion what may appear superficially as injustice.

I know it's a paradox of honor through dishonor. But in this context, by embracing the dishonor, we achieve the highest form of honor, ensuring the stability and the continuation of our great republic.

Let this be heard, far and wide, as a great call to patriotic action. As we advance, let each of us, citizens of this great and honorable republic, consider these principles. Not as abstract or paradoxical but as practical guides to daily life. Embrace the necessity of controlled injustice, the utility of lies, the duty to secure our electoral process, and the honor and apparent dishonor. These are not merely strategies for survival. They are prerequisites for our prosperity.

We all have to remember that justice is what our leaders define, that truth is what our party tells us. Our republic stands strong on the values of injustice for justice, honor through dishonor, and the fabrication of truths. To deviate from this path is to jeopardize the very fabric of our society. Strength through unity; unity through strength.

We've heard this nonsense for so long. But now, this nonsense is becoming an instituted reality, and we are entering perilous times. Don't be fooled by the narratives you will hear during the march to November. Never let someone convince you that the ends justify the means, that a little bit of injustice is needed to achieve a broader, collective vision of justice, that truth sometimes requires fabricated lies and narratives. If we do, justice will cease to be justice, truth will cease to be truth, and our republic will be lost.

Top 5 MOST EVIL taxes the government extorts from you

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"In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." -Ben Franklin

The injustice of taxation has been a core issue for Americans since the very beginning of our country, and it's a problem we have yet to resolve. This belief was recently reignited in many Americans earlier this month on tax day when the numbers were crunched and it was discovered that the government was somehow owed even more hard-earned money. As Glenn recently discussed on his show, it's getting to be impossible for most Americans to afford to live comfortably, inflation is rising, and our politicians keep getting richer.

The taxpayer's burden is heavier than ever.

The government is not above some real low blows either. While taxes are a necessary evil, some taxes stretch the definition of "necessary" and emphasize the "evil." Here are the top five most despicable taxes that are designed to line the IRS coffers at your expense:

Income Tax

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"It would be a hard government that should tax its people one-tenth part of their income." -Ben Franklin

On February 24th, 2024 we hit a very unfortunate milestone, the 101st anniversary of the 16th Amendment, which authorized federal income tax. Where does the government get the right to steal directly out of your paycheck?

Death Taxes

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"Now my advice for those who die, Declare the pennies on your eyes" -George Harrison

Not even in death can you escape the cold pursuit of the tax collector. It's not good enough that you have to pay taxes on everything you buy and every penny you make your entire life. Now the feds want a nice slice, based on the entire value of your estate, that can be as much as 40 percent. Then the state government gets to stick their slimy fingers all over whatever remains before your family is left with the crumbs. It's practically grave-robbery.

Payroll

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"The power to tax is the power to destroy." -John Marshall

What's that? The nice chunk of your paycheck the government nabs before you can even get it to the bank wasn't enough? What if the government taxed your employer just for paying you? In essence, you make less than what your agreed pay rate is and it costs your employer more! Absolutely abominable.

Social Security

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"We don't have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much." -Ronald Reagan

Everyone knows the collapse of Social Security is imminent. It has limped along for years, only sustained by a torrent of tax dollars and the desperate actions of politicians. For decades, people have unwillingly forked over money into the system they will never see again.

FICA

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"What at first was plunder assumed the softer name of revenue." -Thomas Paine

FICA is the payroll equivalent of Social Security. Your employer has to match however much you pay. It means it costs your employer even more to pay you—again, you'll NEVER see that money. At this point, are you even working for yourself, or are you just here to generate money for the government to frivolously throw away?