Ahh, the Tyranny of the Majority

Coyote Blog has a brief discussion about the fact that 60% of people think the amount of taxes they pay is "fair."
At first blush, this would seem to be a pretty strong argument that Americans don't think they are overtaxed.
Except that Coyote Blog points out another little thing: 60% of Americans also receive more in government benefits than they pay in taxes. In other words: 60% of Americans believe that it is fair to take from the remaining 40%. This is the problem when you implement "majority rules" governance over taxation. It's awfully easy to advocate for more government programs when you don't actually have to pay into those government programs.