富爸爸穷爸爸- 第16部分

CHAPTER　FIVE　
Lesson　Four：The　History　of　and　The　Power　of　Corporation

I　remember　in　school　being　told　the　story　of　Robin　Hood　and　his　Merry　Men。　My　schoolteacher　thought　it　was　a　wonderful　story　of　a　romantic　hero；　a　Kevin　Costner　type；　who　robbed　from　the　rich　and　gave　to　the　poor。　My　rich　dad　did　not　see　Robin　Hood　as　a　hero。　He　called　Robin　Hood　a　crook。
Robin　Hood　may　be　long　gone；　but　his　followers　live　on。　How　often　I　still　hear　people　say；　〃Why　don't　the　rich　pay　for　it？〃　Or　〃The　rich　should　pay　more　in　taxes　and　give　it　to　the　poor。〃
It　is　this　idea　of　Robin　Hood；　or　taking　from　the　rich　to　give　to　the　poor　that　has　caused　the　most　pain　for　the　poor　and　the　middle　class。　The　reason　the　middle　class　is　so　heavily　taxed　is　because　of　the　Robin　Hood　ideal。　The　real　reality　is　that　the　rich　are　not　taxed。　It's　the　middle　class　who　pays　for　the　poor；　especially　the　educated　upperine　middle　class。
Again；　to　understand　fully　how　things　happen；　we　need　to　look　at　the　historical　perspective。　We　need　to　look　at　the　history　of　taxes。　Although　my　highly　educated　dad　was　an　expert　on　the　history　of　education；　my　rich　dad　fashioned　himself　as　an　expert　on　the　history　of　taxes。
Rich　dad　explained　to　Mike　and　me　that　in　England　and　America　originally；　there　were　no　taxes。　Occasionally　there　were　temporary　taxes　levied　in　order　to　pay　for　wars。　The　king　or　the　president　would　put　the　word　out　and　ask　everyone　to　〃chip　in。〃　Taxes　were　levied　in　Britain　for　the　fight　against　Napoleon　from　1799　to　1816；　and　in　America　taxes　were　levied　to　pay　for　the　Civil　War　from　1861　to　1865。
In　1874；　England　made　ine　tax　a　permanent　levy　on　its　citizens。　In　1913；　an　ine　tax　became　permanent　in　the　United　States　with　the　adoption　of　the　16th　Amendment　to　the　Constitution。　At　one　time；　Americans　were　antitax。　It　had　been　the　excessive　tax　on　tea　that　led　to　the　famous　Tea　Party　in　Boston　Harbor；　an　incident　that　helped　ignite　the　Revolutionary　War。　It　took　approximately　50　years　in　both　England　and　　'？the　United　States　to　sell　the　idea　of　a　regular　ine　tax。　；
What　these　historical　dates　fail　to　reveal　is　that　both　of　these　taxes　were　initially　levied　against　only　the　rich。　It　was　this　point　that　rich　dad　wanted　Mike　and　me　to　understand。　He　explained　that　the　idea　of　taxes　was　made　popular；　and　accepted　by　the　majority；　by　telling　the　poor　and　the　middle　class　that　taxes　were　created　only　to　punish　the　rich。　This　is　how　the　masses　voted　for　the　law；　and　it　became　constitutionally　legal。　Although　it　was　intended　to　punish　the　rich；　in　reality　it　wound　up　punishing　the　very　people　who　voted　for　it；　the　poor　and　middle　class。
〃Once　government　got　a　taste　of　money；　the　appetite　grew；〃　said　rich　dad。　〃Your　dad　and　I　are　exactly　opposite。　He's　a　government　bureaucrat；　and　I　am　a　capitalist。　We　get　paid；　and　our　success　is　measured　on　opposite　behaviors。　He　gets　paid　to　spend　money　and　hire　people。　The　more　he　spends　and　the　more　people　he　hires；　the　larger　his　anization　bees。　In　the　government；　the　larger　his　anization；　the　more　he　is　respected。　　On　the　other　hand；　within　my　anization；　the　fewer　people　I　hire　and　the　less　money　I　spend；　the　more　I　am　respected　by　my　investors。　That's　why　I　don't　like　government　people。　They　have　different　objectives　from　most　business　people。　As　the　government　grows；　more　and　more　tax　dollars　will　be　needed　to　support　it。〃
My　educated　dad　sincerely　believed　that　government　should　help
people。　He　loved　John　F。　Kennedy　and　especially　the　idea　of　the　Peace　Corps。　He　loved　the　idea　so　much　that　both　he　and　my　mom　worked　for　the　Peace　Corps　training　volunteers　to　go　to　Malaysia；　Thailand　and　the　Philippines。　He　always　strived　for　additional　grants　and　increases　in　his　budget　so　he　could　hire　more　people；　both　in　his　job　with　the　Education　Department　and　in　the　Peace　Corps。　That　was　his　job。
From　the　time　I　was　about　10　years　old；　I　would　hear　from　my　rich　dad　that　government　workers　were　a　pack　of　lazy　thieves；　and　from　my　poor　dad　I　would　hear　how　the　rich　were　greedy　crooks　who　should　be　made　to　pay　more　taxes。　Both　sides　have　valid　points。　It　was　difficult　to　go　to　work　for　one　of　the　biggest　capitalists　in　town　and　e　home　to　a　father　who　was　a　prominent　government　leader。　It　was　not　easy　knowing　who　to　believe。
Yet；　when　you　study　the　history　of　taxes；　an　interesting　perspective　emerges。　As　I　said；　the　passage　of　taxes　was　only　possible　because　the　masses　believed　in　the　Robin　Hood　theory　of　economics；　which　was　to　take　from　the　rich　and　give　to　everyone　else。　The　problem　was　that　the　government's　appetite　for　money　was　so　great　that　taxes　soon　needed　to　be　levied　on　the　middle　class；　and　from　there　it　kept　〃trickling　down。〃
The　rich；　on　the　other　hand；　saw　an　opportunity。　They　do　not　play　by　the　same　set　of　rules。　As　I've　stated；　the　rich　already　knew　about　corporations；　which　became　popular　in　the　days　of　sailing　ships。　The　rich　created　the　corporation　as　a　vehicle　to　limit　their　risk　to　the　assets　of　each　voyage。　The　rich　put　their　money　into　a　corporation　to　finance　the　voyage。　The　corporation　would　then　hire　a　crew　to　sail　to　the　New　World　to　look　for　treasures。　If　the　ship　was　lost；　the　crew　lost　their　lives；　but　the　loss　to　the　rich　would　be　limited　only　to　the　money　they　invested　for　that　particular　voyage。　The　diagram　that　follows　shows　how　the　corporate　structure　sits　outside　your　personal　ine　statement　and　balance　sheet。

How　the　Rich　Play　the　Game

　　　Is　reduced/diminished　by　expenses
Assets　　》　Ine
　　（through　personal　corporation）

It　is　the　knowledge　of　the　power　of　the　legal　structure　of　the　corporation　that　really　gives　the　rich　a　vast　advantage　over　the　poor　and　the　middle　class。　Having　two　fathers　teaching　me；　one　a　socialist　and　the　other　a　capitalist；　I　quickly　began　to　realize　that　the　philosophy　of　the　capitalist　made　more　financial　sense　to　me。　It　seemed　to　me　that　the　socialists　ultimately　penalized　themselves；　due　to　their　lack　of　financial　education。　No　matter　what　the　〃Take　from　the　rich〃　crowd　came　up　with；　the　rich　always　found　a　way　to　outsmart　them。　That　is　how　taxes　were　eventually　levied　on　the　middle　class。　The　rich　outsmarted　the　intellectuals；　solely　because　they　understood　the　power　of　money；　a　subject　not　taught　in　schools。
How　did　the　rich　outsmart　the　intellectuals？　Once　the　〃Take　from　the　rich〃　tax　was　passed；　cash　started　flowing　into　government　coffers。　Initially；　people　were　happy。　Money　was　handed　out　to　government　workers　and　the　rich。　It　went　to　government　workers　in　the　form　of　jobs　and　pensions。　It　went　to　the　rich　via　their　factories　receiving　government　contracts。　The　government　became　a　large　pool　of　money；　but　the　problem　was　the　fiscal　management　of　that　money。　There　really　is　no　recirculation。　In　other　words；　the　government　policy；　if　you　were　a　government　bureaucrat；　was　to　avoid　having　excess　money。　If　you　failed　to　spend　your　allotted　funding；　you　risked　losing　it　in　the　next　budget。
You　would　certainly　not　be　recognized　for　being　efficient。　　Business　people；　on　the　other　hand；　are　rewarded　for　having　excess　money　and　are　recognized　for　their　efficiency。
As　this　cycle　of　growing　government　spending　continued；　the　demand　for　money　increased　and　the　〃Tax　the　rich〃　idea　was　now　being　adjusted　to　include　lowerine　levels；　down　to　the　very　people　who　voted　it　in；　the　poor　and　the　middle　class。
True　capitalists　used　their　financial　knowledge　to　simply　find　a　way　to　escape。　They　headed　back　to　the　protection　of　a　corporation。　A　corporation　protects　the　rich。　But　what　many　people　who　have　never　formed　a　corporation　do　not　know　is　that　a　corporation　is　not　really　a　thing。　A　corporation　is　merely　a　file　folder　with　some　legal　documents　in　it；　sitting　in　some　attorney's　office　registered　with　a　state　government　agency。　It's　not　a　big　building　with　the　name　of　the　corporation　on　it。　It's　not　a　factory　or　a　group　of　people。　A　corporation　is　merely　a　legal　document　that　creates　a　legal　body　without　a　soul。　The　wealth　of　the　rich　was　once　again　protected。　Once　again；　the　use　of　corporations　became　popularonce　the　permanent　ine　laws　were　passed　because　the　inetax　rate　of　the　corporation　was　less　than　the　individual　inetax　rates。　　In　addition；　as　described　earlier；　certain　expenses　could　be　paid　with　pretax　dollars　within　the　corporation。
This　war　between　the　haves　and　havenots　has　been　going　on　for　hundreds　of　years。　It　is　the　〃Take　from　the　rich〃　crowd　versus　the　rich。　The　battle　is　waged　whenever　and　wherever　laws　are　made。　The　battle　will　go　on　forever。　The　problem　is；　the　people　who　lose　are　the　uninformed。　The　ones　who　get　up　every　day　and　diligently　go　to　work　and　pay　taxes。　If　they　only　understood　the　way　the　rich　play　the　game；　they　could　play　it　too。　Then；　they　would　be　on　their　way　to　their　own　financial　independence。　This　is　why　I　cringe　every　time　I　hear　a　parent　advise　their　children　to　go　to　school；　so　they　can　find　a　safe；　secure　job。　An　employee　with　a　safe；　secure　job；　without　financial　aptitude；　has　no　escape。
Average　Americans　today　work　five　to　six　months　for　the　government　before　they　make　enough　to　cover　their　taxes。　In　my　opinion；　that　is　a　long　time。　The　harder　you　work；　the　more　you　pay　the　government。　That　is　why　I　believe　that　the　idea　of　〃Take　from　the　rich〃　backfired　on　the　very　people　who　voted　it　in。
Every　time　people　try　to　punish　the　rich；　the　rich　don't　simply
ply；　they　react。　They　have　the　money；　power　and　intent　to　change　things。　They　do　not　just　sit　there　and　voluntarily　pay　more　taxes。　They　search　for　ways　to　minimize　their　tax　burden。　They　hire　smart　attorneys　j　and　accountants；　and　persuade　politicians　to　change　laws　or　create　legal　loopholes。　They　have　the　resources　to　effect　change。
The　Tax　Code　of　the　United　States　also　allows　other　ways　to　save　on　taxes。　Most　of　these　vehicles　are　available　to　anyone；　but　it　is　the　rich　who　usually　look　for　them　because　they　are　minding　their　own　business。　For　example；　〃1031〃　is　jargon　for　Section　1031　of　the　Internal　Revenue　Code；　which　allows　a　seller　to　delay　paying　taxes　on　a　piece　of　real　estate；　that　is　sold　for　a　capital　gain　through　an　exchange　for　a　more　expensive　piece　of　real　estate。　Real　estate　is　one　investment　vehicle　that　allows　such　a　great　tax　advantage。　As　long　as　you　keep　t