In some older civilizations (China in particular), lower class people were required to work for a certain time out of the year on public works, namely the great wall of china or several canal systems. China flourished due to this ideal, with it allowing greater transport and defense against...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/30/business/economy/for-the-wealthiest-private-tax-system-saves-them-billions.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
Lower middle class Republicans duped by the wealthy. For...