>>Actually, the fact that the government takes away almost half of my income in order to redistribute it to people who they seem to think deserve it more than I do
does have a real impact on my lifestyle.
>
>You should try living in Europe. We have a lower tax rate than any developed nation in the world.
Mike, not exactly correct. Latest numbers show we're 25th out of 34 (i.e. 9 developed countries have a lower rate). Granted, comparing different countries is a bit of apples and oranges, but I highly doubt you'll find any reputable analysis that would put us at the lowest rank.
We also have a corporate tax rate that is either the highest or near the top of any developed nation.