Article Response: "How Debt and Taxes Can Make Smart Entrepreneurs Rich"

Article Response from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/293759

In our society, most people you will consider fairly rich pay their fair share. Though a small minority of rich people don't, and in this article, the writer (who admittedly doesn't pay taxes) tries to explain why that's ok.

"When you partner with the government to create jobs, provide housing, drill for oil or supply food -- things that the government, in a democracy and free market economy, can’t do alone -- the government gives you tax benefits"

The real paradox in the statement above is that "in a democracy and free market economy," the people will sell houses, drill for oil or supply food without enormous tax benefits. Had the government taken 15% tax on every Walmart good sold, had Walmart gone out of business? The obvious answer is no. Walmart's prices (and its competitors' prices) will just go up 15%. That's it. The government doesn't need to give you tax breaks to operate.

Oh, sure, Walmart will be much better off with that pesky 15% tax, but to assume that if the government doesn't help it will fall? Absurdly uncapitalistic.

In a free market economy, successful companies don't need tax breaks because they are successful. The logic just doesn't work - if a company managed to become successful without tax breaks, tax breaks will save it? No, is the answer.

"My wife Kim and I have hundreds of millions of dollars of debt. We pay little to nothing in taxes. We are very rich, members of the 1 percent that gets crowds screaming about economic inequality. And we sleep very well at night."

"Most Americans [...] lack basic financial knowledge about how to use debt to make money and how to avoid paying taxes, legally and ethically"

Legally, yes. ethically - hell no.

Look, I pay taxes. I don't enjoy it, but I love my country. Taxes give me courts, police, schools, army, parliament and countless other things. It is my duty as a citizen to pay my fair share to society.

If you believe that you deserve all the good mentioned above for free, I have news for you: you don't.

Sure, if you're so poor that I have nothing to take from you, I won't. You're already poor and your contribution is probably small.

But you, look at you! How dare you boast about how you avoid taxes, avoid helping your society? How can someone

Sleep well. I know you would.