TAX and WELFARE

Tax and welfare are two of the biggest ideological issues on the planet.

At one end of the scale we have extreme Socialism where everyone is dependant on the State, and at the other end of the scale we have extreme Capitalism where everyone looks after themselves.

The developed world tends to have a mixture of both socialism (usually focused on  public welfare, health and education) and capitalism (free enterprise).

Apart from welfare, health and education, governments have other responsibilities such as defence, legal and infrastructure. They all need funding, usually from taxes and charges.

The big questions are always how much should be provided out of the public purse, and who pays ?