Couple of things. First taxes. Using taxes for ANYTHING, other than paying the bills, is a terrible mistake and is, exactly, how we got to a 20,000 page tax code. It is, again, pretty simple. One side wants to 'tweak' the tax system, then the other side wants to 'tweak' the tax system and it just keeps on going. The bush tax reduction, for instance, added no fewer than 200 pages to the code. If you want to do social engineering, etc. do it outside of the tax system. Decide on the tax plan, pass it (normal order), and just let it be. Then EVERYBODY will know, exactly, how it works and what its for. Right now NOBODY knows, exactly, how it works and what its really for. If we are to be a nation of laws then just let it be.
The second needs a little history. I can remember when we did a blanket pay raise for our military. At the time there was a big argument over whether we were creating a mercenary force. I can also remember when, in 1971 they sent tanks into Washington DC to keep the peace. They traveled there not with their guns up but down and ready to go (that one got a lot of attention at the time). They had just returned from Viet Nam and would have opened up on anybody if they got the order. Then there is the ongoing dependence on independent mercenaries as well (
https://www.theatlantic.com/interna...nistan-contractor-pentagon-obama/495731/). You may think of our army as a citizen army - it is not. The only part that qualifies for that is our national guard, the rest get paid fairly well and do as they are told and are controlled by the generals (now more than ever given that Trump has given the military free reign to do, pretty much, whatever they want). Anyway, if you are under the impression that our military would never act against American citizens is a nice thought but has little to do with our reality.
You can also look up the "bonus army" when, after WWI, they sent in tanks which actually attacked other veterans. Oh, here is one for the 1971 thing:
https://longreads.com/2017/01/20/in...t-march-on-washington-they-shut-it-down/Basically, OUR military WILL fire on civilians if so ordered!
