In most EU countries, one does not pay taxes at the first XX euros his/hers yearly income, than he pays some low tax at the next YY EUR, and than higher percentage for next ZZ euros he earned (if he earned that much) and so on until some large percentage that is usually set for all income over 100K EUR for example.
So it is gradual for everyone. And if, say, the no tax limit is set at 15K EUR, there is not much difference for guy earning 16K euros and 15K euros per year. The first one would pay maybe 10% of one thousand euros while the second won't pay any taxes.
I like this a lot. But I don't think it's popular with libertarian movements.
I feel information should be widely available and the markets should decide what is acceptable. Governments should prevent violent crimes within their boarders and defend their citizens from foreign invasion. Little else is acceptable to me.
Trust me, I understand how nasty things can get, but I firmly believe that the only way to fight that is awareness: spreading information.
I think you misunderstand the power that market share has on freedom of information. One of the first things to go in unregulated markets is necessary information to the consumer. Take a 5 second look at big media. There were Nobel Prizes in Economics awarded on this topic.
In addition, my point was that control over someone's financial life (the way unregulated banking, retail, and massive corporations maintain with discretion over pensions, loans, and property they own) can destroy lives as thoroughly as violence. This is why we have federal regulations regarding finance, and those regulations need to be funded.
Oh how different WV would be if coal/gas companies had to pay more than a few thousand dollars a month to destroy a mountain range.
I can't imagine a single captain of industry ever advocating higher taxes on business.