Manipulation through Taxation

We've heard the term, "taxation without representation" or, "no taxation without representation"... Well, I am presenting to you today what taxation has evolved into over the past 200 years. Manipulation.

Any time we see a person or a business getting a "tax break" for conforming to a certain standard or a "tax penalty" for not conforming, we must ask ourselves the question, "what is the original purpose of taxes?"
I was always under the impression that the purpose of taxes was to fund our government so that they have the necessary resources to provide the services that they were created to provide in order to keep us citizens  safe from our enemies, foreign and domestic. Well,, that was pretty much it originally, though the services have grown exponentially (and extremely invasive) over the past 100 years, that's another topic for another day. Let's stick with the purpose of taxes being to provide us American with government services.

How does a tax break for being married support the purpose of funding the services government provides?
How does a tax break for green energy companies support the purpose of funding the services government provides?
How does a tax break for oil companies support the purpose of funding the services government provides?
Why should anyone get a penalty in the form of of higher taxes for smoking cigarettes? (I know the answer to this one: because the government uses tax dollars to provide health care for the smokers when their choice to smoke made them sick - AND to do a bunch of research, much of which is bogus - on cigarettes and health)

When it comes down to it, taxes today are more of a tool used to manipulate the populace than anything else.
This needs to stop. We need tax reform and we need it now.

No one should have to payer a larger percentage of his income to the government than anyone else. People talk about equality all the time. Usually it comes from those who feel they are being treated less equal than others. Seldom do we see someone paying very little taxes complaining that the want equality in taxation.
They use the term "fair share" instead because "equality" would mean everyone gets treated the same, and when it comes to pitching in for services provided, well, some folks truly believe it's not fair that everyone contribute.

You want equality?
Same percentage across the board for every single person who has an income.
Zero tax breaks for anything.
Zero tax penalties for anything.
Zero taxes on businesses (you want to see a bunch of companies race to this country and start hiring people? Do this!) - Businesses already contribute to the taxes with each person they put on their payroll and every product they produce. Any additional tax on business is a double-tax and is therefore a tax penalty.

That, my friends is equality.