Confiscatory taxation is and has been part of the problem.
Exactly. I’ve ranted here time and again about people paying more in taxes than they need to. Why give Mother Government use of your money for a YEAR while you wait for a refund - that gets taxed again as INCOME?
But, I’m just a dumb hick from the sticks who lives below the radar and retired at age 56, debt free. What do I know? ;)