one conservative's view
We are the system. It grants us what we grant ourselves.
I don't feel victimized by the system. I'm grateful for the opportunities it provides, and that we have at least the minimum freedoms needed to pursue most of those opportunities.
And I don't resent taxation. I'm proud of many of the things my tax dollar supports, including space exploration, the war on terror and help for the needy.
But the system does not grant me prosperity...that I have to go out and earn for myself, as it should be.
Let's not say "When you get more, you pay more." Let's say "Creativity and initiative are rewarded because the system recognizes that you should be the beneficiary of your own efforts."