Member-only story
The Complications of Citizenship in Modern Society
The Growth of Tax Code and other legislation
As a lifelong Canadian, I am familiar with the concept of the Just Society that looks after those who cannot look after themselves. We are proud of our nation’s universal health care despite its systemic shortages and failures. All of these social supports require taxation. In order for the system to work, every taxpayer must file an annual return and report their economic activity for the year, thereby subjecting it to taxation.
While there is no perfection in human or societal affairs, Canada has enjoyed an enviable standard of living and a reputation for justice and fairness across economic classes. As long as everyone has the necessities of life and no one is falling behind, the system continues almost like a perpetual motion machine. But as change is the only constant in life, the economic ground beneath our feet is continually shifting.
There are many “arms races” in society that the individual citizen cannot hope to keep up with. I have written before that citizenship in a democracy is a full-time job. No one citizen can hope to keep up with the actions of all levels of government or the courts. As technological and societal change drive the creation of new legislation, the legal code has grown exponentially.
