Politics Quote by H. L. Mencken
““When a new source of taxation is found it never means, in practice, that an old source is abandoned. It merely means that the politicians have two ways of milking the taxpayer where they had only one before.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Taxation of the People,” 1915, published in The American Mercury
New taxes do not replace old ones; they add to the burden, giving politicians more ways to extract money from citizens.
In simple terms: More taxes mean more ways to tax people.
Key Takeaway
Advocate for fiscal responsibility and transparency.
Themes
taxation
government
burden
Mood
critical
concerned
Type
analysis
commentary
When to use this quote
- budget planning
- public policy debates
- tax reform initiatives
- citizen advocacy
Key Concepts
public finance
policy
political economy
Questions to Reflect On
- What are the hidden costs of adding new taxes?
- How can citizens hold politicians accountable for fiscal decisions?
A Different Perspective
Tax increases can be politically motivated rather than necessary.
![“By profession a biologist, [Thomas Henry Huxley] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences. Absolutely nothing was uninteresting to him. His curiosity ranged from music to theology and from philosophy to history. He didn't simply know something…” quote by H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f46/h-l-mencken-245_absolutely-nothing_by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-h_5368.jpg)
