CTarian

Spent my formative years in Northern New Jersey, Bergen County.. Nothing out of the ordinary really. Mom & Dad loved the three boys, and my father earned a good living in the insurance underwriting profession. I suppose one lasting thing for all three of us kids was my father's strong belief in hard work and merit. More than once if I wanted a new basketball or something, Dad would say,"Well, grab the snow shovel, and earn yourself some dough. Come home when you're tired." Then, we'd go and he'd help with the purchase. I learned that hard work brings success, and that it feels good getting rewarded for hard work!! I think Americans even today, pride themselves in hard work. In high school, I came across a book called Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand.. This book cemented my belief in the individual, that when you take care of yourself, you, in effect, are taking care of your neighborhood and town and country at the same time. It made me understand what money truly is.. Money is a measure of the value you bring to the Civil Society. It's not the only measure, but certainly a foundational type measure. To this day, with all these political issues, are n't they all rooted in the fight over the individual's wealth? Absolutely they are. So when your wealth is taxed away from you, what is really being taken? Your mind, your life is what's taken.