‘Cause I’m The Tax Man…
Let me tell you how it will be
There�s one for you, nin’teen for meCause I’m the tax man
Yea I’m the tax manShould five percent appear too small
Be thankful I don’t take it allCause I’m the tax man
Yea I’m the tax man…
- The Beatles, Tax Man
I remember being astounded to learn that “one for you, nineteen for me” wasn’t poetic license… it was an actual tax rate in England before Margaret Thatcher came along and set everyone straight.
NO MORE subsidies for uneconomic coal mines because “it was a way of life” that had to be preserved for some reason. Programs had to start pulling their weight. Entire government bureaucracies were wiped out and what do you know? Merry Ol’ England went right on as before. Well, not exactly as before; the economy started to grow like crazy. Cheerio, I say, old chap!
Makes you wonder what we could do without here. Lots of well-intentioned flabby bureaucracy on this side of the pond, too. Luckily not as bad as pre-Thatcher England, but still…
Hi DOF, “one for you, nineteen for me” is just astonishing. No wonder the Queen of England had all the finest silverwares and gems, and treasures among all kingdoms in Old Europe.
One thing to remember though is that Thatcherism did quite a bit of harm before it did good. If you remember, the UK was in such a bad recession that the Labour party got elected, and it wasn’t until then that the economy started to grow with the reinclusion of some social programs.
P.S. Though, I will grant that Thatcher did successfully debloat the British government.