Pope Benedict: "No one likes taxes!"

In an off the cuff statement on Wednesday, Pope Benedict the XVI made reference to the third-century revolt against excessive taxation saying, "some things never change."

Benedict was refering to the current Italian debates about taxation, but he could just as easily been referring to the Ron Paul Revolution.

Although the comment was a moment of levity, the Holy Father is pointing to an important principle. The Church's view of the State is that it is limited. Limited formost by the inherent rights of the person and family, and further by the legitimate role of intermediate associations and the Church, as well as by the most local level of government.

By its nature, the State seeks to absorb all power and authority to itself. Its natural tendency is to grow, become bloated and tyrannical with the illegitimate idea that the people exist to serve the State, rather than the State exists to serve the people.

A clear sign of this sickness of the State is over taxation.

And when you tax the people too much, you get a revolt.

Whether in third-century Rome, or the twenty-first-century United States, when the State opresses the people through excessive taxation, the people speak up.

This is one of the principles awakening the Ron Paul Revolutionaries - an inate desire for their inalienable Liberty from an opressive State!

Go Ron Paul!