Lincon freed the Southern Balck slaves--but slavery is alive and well in this country.  My accountant says, if I make 100,000/year, with out incorporating, I will be paying 48% of my money in income taxes alone (single white male--with no kids).  Now, lets add all the other taxes I pay (property, sales, gas, blah blah), and I will be around the 70% mark.  That means, I am not working for myself, but I am working for our government.  It is quite a parallel to the Southern slavery days, where the masters of the plantations made sure their slaves had food, clothing, shelter---and yes medical care.  I fear we are heading not only toward a resession (like the news is finally starting to pick up on), but a full blown depression.  I fear a socialized medicine welfare program will be enough to quickly push us over the edge---and poverty will soar.  More social programs, taxing a diminishing productive people, at times of bad economy for the people that exists now---will do us in IMO.
It all comes back to being forced to elect only the elite, who really don't care about any class below them, as a whole.
I am in my first year of being totally self employed, and I have not paid taxes yet.  Guys and gals, I wish you could feel the freedom that I feel right now.  It is so awesome, and I have never had decient cash in my pocket before.  I even helped out this older mexican guy in my local area, that is in a wheel chair, and digging in the trash for ten cent cans.  He did not ask me for welfare, when I saw him digging--so I gladly gave him all of my cans, and continue to do so while I can.  When is the last time any libs here directly helped out their neighbor like that?
Here is a little write I just found---that we seem to have forgotten.
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/rightsof/
  I wish they taught this more in our public school system.  My mother immigrated here from Canada.  She had a work visa and green card, and worked here for 5 years before she could become a citizen.  She is a retired dietitian now, and was degreed in Canada.  She thought she was going to have this big test on American history--but the guy signing her citizen papers had a daughter in the dietary industry--and that is all they talked about.  Boom--your a citizen.     
We also have the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world by far.  I think that is a tiny bit ironic for a nation that boasts it's freedom for the people.