The welfare state imposes upon its citizens scorching taxes in
various forms — income tax, sales tax, land tax, terminal tax,
excise tax, customs tax, and so many other taxes. But in due
course, when the taxes accumulate into a large sum of money,
they are utilized for the welfare of the citizens in various ways.
Nonetheless, sometimes it happens that the benefits of the taxes
fall like rains on stone-hearted men in the state who are unable to
utilize the money properly and who squander it for sense grati-
fication.

The common man supposes the unequal distribution of rain to
represent nature’s wrath for our sinful acts. There is truth in this.
Thus to have an equal distribution of state-raised taxes, the
citizens need to be scrupulously honest and virtuous. They
should be honest in the payment of taxes to the state and should
have honest representatives to look over the administration. In
the modern setup of democratic states the citizens can have no
cause for grievances, because the whole administration is con-
ducted by the people themselves. If the people themselves are

dishonest, the administrative machinery must be corrupt.
Although a damned government of the people may be given a
' good or fancy name, if the people are not good they cannot have
| a good government, regardless of which party governs the admin-
istration. Therefore good character in the consciousness of the
mass of people is the first principle necessary for a good govern-
ment and equal distribution of wealth.
In ancient days the kings were taught lessons in political phi-
| losophy by ideal teachers, and the citizens from village to village
| were taught the principles of self-realization according to the
Vedic codes for both the material and the spiritual upliftment of
| society. Therefore the citizens were God conscious and honest in
their dealings, and the kings were responsible for the welfare of
the state. The same basic principles are accepted in the democrat-
ic governments of the present day, for the irresponsible party of
the people is always voted out of power and must yield to the
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