Because our society values children and wants to encourage you to have some. For the same reason some of your taxes go to schools and, at least here in Germany, pay for child benefits.
Rich countries which offer "free" (payed with taxes) social cares like Germany suffer from too many old people and too few children. So you have to offer more benefits for young families to get more children.
If you develop a social security net in poorer countries maybe families will start to get fewer children, because the state will care for you with no exception.
The population problem is a result of some people having too many children. As child mortality decreases we will most likely see a decrease in very large families as well.
What else should tax money be used for then? Why is the US thinking that way?
Where do you draw the line? Why should the government no care for me in my 20's or 30's or 40's
Should I get free food, free shelter, free TV's, Free iPhones?
I do not believe the government should provide anything to anyone. Nor do I believe I should be taxed simply because I am alive.
>Why is the US thinking that way?
A Culture of Rugged Individualism, combines with rightful distrust of the government
Statism has killed more people than any other form of government ever devised by humans. While causing untold suffering.
If the government should not provide anything, why should there be a government? You get taxed because the government provides something for you and the provided services need to get paid. I doubt you want to live in total anarchy without police, firemen or a working sewerage for example.
Why indeed...
>You get taxed because the government provides something for you and the provided services need to get paid.
To the extent I want or need those services I will be happy to pay for them individually like I do anything else. If the services government provides me are desired than I should be free to choose to pay for them and if I do not then I would not be able to take advantage of said services.
>I doubt you want to live in total anarchy without police, firemen or a working sewerage for example.
My Fire dept is all Volunteer funded by donations from the community, it gets very little to no tax money. I believe taxes may have paid for the fire truck, but that money could have been raised with out taxes.
I have a septic tank, no government sewer service, but even if I did every city near me has private run water and sewer services that are paid for by the people connected to them not by tax dollars
Police is the only service on your list that is actually paid for by tax dollars, that makes up about .000000000000000000000000000001% of my tax bill, if the police want to send me a bill for their service I will be happy to pay it directly and not have the rest of the government burden.
>For the same reason some of your taxes go to schools and, at least here in Germany, pay for child benefits.
I believe taxation is theft, and parents should pay for their children to go to school.
Business and others may volunteer their money to non-profits, and other endeavors that also have to goal of educating children but that support should be fully voluntary not done by government force/violence.
Taxation is the involuntary taking of a persons property, money or labor by government
simply adding "by government" does not magically transform it into something other than theft...
Allow me to quote one of my favorite political philosophers
"The fact is that the government, like a highwayman, says to a man: Your money, or your life. And many, if not most, taxes are paid under the compulsion of that threat.
The government does not, indeed, waylay a man in a lonely place, spring upon him from the road side, and, holding a pistol to his head, proceed to rifle his pockets. But the robbery is none the less a robbery on that account; and it is far more dastardly and shameful." --Lysander Spooner
Further to believe that Statism, Violence Statism via involuntary taxation at that, is the only way to have a organized and functional society is just ignorant
I am sure you believe Libertarianism is Dangerous