Government Steals $14M from Kobe Bryant

 At what point does taxation become theft? 10%? 20%? How about 57%? That’s the whopping amount the government will be taking from Kobe Bryant.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar will receive over $24 million in a lump sum, as per his contract with the NBA franchise. His payday puts a smile on the face of government tax agents, as the federal government and state of California will take nearly $14 million of that payment, combined. [contextly_sidebar id=”69bb6f90d66e95b1a3df2d3e80967530″]

 While some have been shocked over this amount, others have scoffed over any sympathy being paid to a millionaire. In fact, slander against athletic stars for their salaries is common amongst Americans. Americans love their sports, and love to hate their sport stars for being successful. How many times have you heard someone say that playing a game doesn’t deserve a multi-million dollar salary? This attitude discounts a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice to get to that level of achievement, as well as the enormous profits these players bring to their teams and leagues in the form of ticket sales, merchandising, and sponsorship deals.

 As with all fields, the salary athletes make is dependent on the value they produce. To the LA Lakers, the value Bryant produces for them is worth a $24 million investment. That is his money, earned through a life time of dedication and sweat. The government has no right to that money. But in the system we currently live in, they will take it, along with billions of dollars from other Americans, and they will still spend it all and more, and then have the gall to tell you the rich aren’t paying their fair share.

At some point we must realize, the government is a junkie hooked on spending. Sustaining the habit by feeding it more revenue may prevent a painful detox, but it won’t fix the problem in the long run.

 It is important to realize that everyone values their own labor, even those who make considerably more money than most. A government that can confiscate such a large chunk of someone’s earned income has no respect for the individual or the labor of individuals. It is a system which claims right to all of your money and decides how much you should be allowed to keep.

What would be an apt name for such a system where labor is for the benefit of the State and not the individual, where any amount of your earnings can be taken on the slightest pretext of a greater good? What is it called when the money you are left with is purposely devalued, leaving you little chance of saving and forcing you to live hand-to-mouth, paycheck to paycheck? What do they call it when government officials and cronies live a luxurious life of finely catered conferences and cushy vacations at taxpayer’s expense?

Serfdom. The word is serfdom.