I am not sure I understand your position regarding our privileges and immunities under our republican form of Government.
In 2010 Medicare Part A cost 248 billion, Medicare Part B is funded by premiums collected from beneficiaries.
Why can we afford a war on drugs that the wealthiest are unwilling to pay wartime tax rates for, instead of better roads and aqueducts?
Daniel your whine about the "wealthiest are unwilling to pay wartime tax" is a bogus issue. The wealthy pay more income tax at a higher rate than the less wealthy. It would be idiotic to expect the rich to furnish all the revenue to create/improve infrastructure.
Because I am objective and do believe Capitalism in all its imperfection is the best social order/economic system known to mankind.
Supply side economics works for the simple fact that if a society produces more its citizens will have more. The lower the capacity to produce, the smaller the amount of available resources and those that are available will cost more dearly.
The wealthy pay as much as a percentage of federal revenue today as they did in WW2. THe top 1% of taxpayers pay for the entire military, and the police forces.
Did you know the primary reason for an income tax is to prosecute the general warfare and any common offenses that may be required? A truer welfare-state would not need any taxes on the incomes of real persons and could more faithfully implement supply side economics with the "improvement" in our Standard of living being better governance at lower cost. - - - Updated - - - In ancient times, and when real Capitalists roamed the Earth; persons of wealth would purchase the best solutions they could afford, and try their luck in those markets they were able to.