THE TRIQUETRA OF LIFE: Wisdom, Wealth, and Wellness

It’s of vital political interest to note that exorbitant or unjustified taxes triggered numerous rebellions and revolutions down through history. Here is a detailed list of such revolts, including the American Revolution. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_historical_acts_of_tax_resistance

Boston Tea Party

What’s important to consider for the revolution redline is the ‘total tax burden, not merely income tax. Here’s a breakdown for the U.S. today:

• Federal income tax: Most Americans pay an effective federal income tax rate around 13% (not the bracket rate, but the actual percentage of their income after deductions).
• Payroll taxes (Social Security + Medicare): Add about 7.65% (or 15.3% if you’re self-employed).
• State/local taxes: Vary a lot, but average about 10% of income nationwide (higher in California, lower in Texas/Florida).
• Sales taxes: Hidden but real — typically 2–4% of income gets eaten through sales tax (depends on spending habits).
• Other hidden taxes: Gas taxes, phone taxes, property taxes, etc., maybe another 2–3%.

Adding it up for the average American:

• Income taxes: ~13%
• Payroll taxes: ~7.65%
• State/local taxes: ~10%
• Sales and hidden taxes: ~5%

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= Total burden: ~35%

If you have been sensing a significant rebellious mood in the US, this high total tax burden is likely at fault. Not the complex issues of liberal versus conservative mores, but excess money outflow will be the root cause.

Any attempt to further increase taxes without streamlining government efficiency will meet with intense resistance. Paying for the housing, health and food of illegal immigrants only excerbates the angry mood. Sending unaffordable bililons in armament to the Ukraine or for other endless war zones stirs up revolution sentiments. Social factors are countless, but the bottom line comes down to that total tax burden for the average citizen.

History bears this out. Note the similar total tax burden redline reached by the Roman Empire circa 500 A.D. before she collapsed in utter ruin.

• During the late Roman Empire (especially 3rd–5th centuries), total burdens including taxes, forced services, grain requisitions, and military conscriptions rose to an estimated 30–40% of a person’s total production.
• Heavy tax farming, inflation (they debased the currency), and corruption made it worse.
• Roman small farmers abandoned their land because they couldn’t pay — the “coloni” system (early serfdom) was born out of this collapse.
• Roman historians like Lactantius and Salvian describe tax collectors worse than bandits, squeezing people so hard that mass abandonment of cities and farms happened.

In other words:
Rome’s total tax burden + hidden burdens hit 30–40% — very similar to where the U.S. total burden is now.

Civilization	Total Tax Burden	Outcome
Roman Empire (fall)	35–40%	Collapse, rural abandonment
French Monarchy (1789)	~30%	Revolution (French Revolution)
Spanish Empire (decline)	~25%	Collapse of global empire
Qing Dynasty (collapse)	~25–30%	Revolution, fall of dynasty
United States (today)	~35%	Rising instability, rebellion mood

Trump’s effort to reduce income taxes is not enough to move back from that imminent collapse. California, New York and Chicago, among other blue states have much higher taxes for income, sales, and property to support their social programs. Savvy citizens and businesses are rebelling by moving out of those states to Texas and Florida. The next phase could sadly be armed and violent, and if that happens, America’s decline and fall will be just another example of a tax revolution writ in human history.