Good societies are those that make it easy to live good lives. A society that erects numerous obstacles to good living, however, cannot count as a good society. By this criterion, present day American society cannot be considered good. It has too many institutionalized features that impede human flourishing. In Good Societies and Good Lives, I discuss one such feature, state lotteries. Another impediment is a tax code that punishes productive behavior and rewards behavior that is imprudent.

On another occasion I'll talk about the 'progressivity' of the U. S. tax code, a feature perhaps better labelled 'punitivity.' But for now I draw your attention to the fact that interest and ordinary dividends are subject to taxation. Interest is the return one gets on such instruments as checking accounts, savings accounts, and certificates of deposit, while ordinary dividends include the return on cash reserve accounts at mutual fund companies. I am not talking about capital gains or any return that the so-called 'rich' partake of. I'm talking about a form of return 'enjoyed' by vast numbers of ordinary citizens.

Prudent people maintain a cash reserve to tide them over when times get tough: when unforeseen expenses arise or when they lose their jobs.  Most financial writers recommend six months to a year's worth of cash reserves to get one through a stretch of zero income. Eventually, though, you ought to work up to two year's worth.

So what does our government do? They penalize one for saving by taxing interest and ordinary dividends. They make it more difficult to be virtuous. This is both stupid and morally objectionable. Yet another reason to never vote for a liberal. Except of course if you are a loser who expects to live from government handouts.  Is Obama yo mama?