Do they not already pay taxes? Fees? Regulatory compliance? If "societal structure" is in need, then first account for the money already supposedly earmarked for that and tell us where it went.
yes. however, there are two problems :
1. we're wasting the money on things like global interventionism when we should be spending it to shore up the bottom of the ladder so that more people can climb it.
2. the rates are currently too low. even if we pared the military down to peacetime levels, there still wouldn't be enough money for a first world health care system. the current health care system is ridiculously inefficient, and it relies on the idiotic idea that a business should be the health care provider for its workers. it needs to be replaced. healthcare and energy are both sucking the lifeblood out of the economy.
if i could wave a magic wand, i'd do a couple things :
a. pare down the military to peacetime levels. if the world wants a global army, it needs to fund and form one. otherwise, these matters should be handled by the regional powers. we cover the Americas, China is responsible for NK's nonsense, and Iran becomes SA's problem.
b. return all tax brackets to 1990s levels. they were still historically low, and cutting them didn't work.
c. tax investment income as income above a certain cap.
d. cut the corporate rate to below Europe's, and collect it from every corporation. let them deduct expenses, but this having phantom companies in foreign countries has to stop.
i'm sure that rage will ensue over these suggestions, but these are things that we need to do. we aren't going to eliminate social safety nets, nor should we. we need to get our house in order, and everyone is going to have to give something to get that done.