India has the highest taxes in the world. Direct taxes start at around 2000 dollars per annum and the highest rate kicks in at around 3300 dollars. Then there are a variety of indirect taxes such as excise duties, value added tax, central sales tax, octroi and many others to suck the bloodless citizens. What makes all this taxation unbearable is the fact that we get nothing for paying. For instance 60% of a car's value consists of taxes, petrol is heavily taxed and we pay road tax whenever we buy any vehicle. But there are few roads to drive. Roads are narrow and terrible condition so that we spend huge amounts in maintaing our cars. We pay property tax but water supply is so erratic that we have to buy water from private tankers at great cost inspite of paying water bills to the municipality. Electricity is erratic and voltage may swing wildly so every family has to buy voltage stabliser for each appliance and a generator or invertor to runs and fans. Any low level employee can decide to switch off electricity for upto 12 hours for repairs without any warning or consultation. If all the food in the fridge rots tough luck. Any appliance can burn out any time if the voltage rises suddenly so that stabiliser cannot cope. Manhole covers are left open and children regularly fall to their death. Built on quicksand the economy is growing at 8% and we are told that we have never had it so good. God help.