Obama "spread the wealth"

Differentially targetting the wealthy for much higher taxes is a typical indication of what freedom, fairness, and the American way of life mean to liberals.

And you forgot to mention the critically important bit about, over the period of time that New Deal legislation was in place, how the US devolved from a status of broad citizen wealth and world economic dominance it enjoyed (back in the glorious thirties) to third world poverty (in the terrible seventies).

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Differentially targetting the wealthy for much higher taxes is a typical indication of what freedom, fairness, and the American way of life mean to liberals.

I prefer a flat-tax which takes the same percentage from everyone, unfortunately that's not on the table.

In the mean time, we have a tax code which is riddled with loopholes which allow the wealthy (dis-proportionally) to pay less than their fair share. The existing tax code is already inequitable, so I see nothing wrong with trying to readjust it to bring it back as close to "flat" as possible.

Neither do I, and I'm all for closing most loopholes, as you say. What I object to is the word I hear from Obama and the liberals about cutting taxes on the middle class and raising them on the rich, as though success deserved to be met with confiscation of profits for re-distribution to the rest of us.

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Neither do I, and I'm all for closing most loopholes, as you say. What I object to is the word I hear from Obama and the liberals about cutting taxes on the middle class and raising them on the rich, as though success deserved to be met with confiscation of profits for re-distribution to the rest of us.

I object to that basic philosophy as well. But the reality of the situation is that we are currently saddled with an inequitable tax code which redistributes wealth upward. We can either elect someone who wants to continue the current policy, or someone who doesn't.

blatham wrote:

And you forgot to mention the critically important bit about, over the period of time that New Deal legislation was in place, how the US devolved from a status of broad citizen wealth and world economic dominance it enjoyed (back in the glorious thirties) to third world poverty (in the terrible seventies).

Granting that, for the sake of argument, what does it have to do with my comment?

Differentially targetting the wealthy for much higher taxes is a typical indication of what freedom, fairness, and the American way of life mean to liberals.

Re: blatham (Post 3452018)

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blatham wrote:

And you forgot to mention the critically important bit about, over the period of time that New Deal legislation was in place, how the US devolved from a status of broad citizen wealth and world economic dominance it enjoyed (back in the glorious thirties) to third world poverty (in the terrible seventies).

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Granting that, for the sake of argument, what does it have to do with my comment?

Here's what you wrote:

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Differentially targetting the wealthy for much higher taxes is a typical indication of what freedom, fairness, and the American way of life mean to liberals.

Was that period of time (with a progressive tax structure) unfree? Were the forties, fifties and sixties an un-american period?

You could argue that progressive taxation is 'unfair' (though there are counter arguments easily as coherent and compelling) but what is the rest of that stuff above doing in your claim?

I would prefer a flat tax, but, at the very least, I don't want it to be steeply graduated. I've seen Obama talk about tax cuts for the middle and tax increases for the rich. What am I to conclude? I've had discussions here recently with board liberals who advocate, in no uncertain terms, putting most of the burden for fixing the country on the rich financially. Making the rich pay a much bigger share of their income in terms of percent, is unfair and contrary to the American Dream, which consists basically of the idea that if you work hard and are clever, you can make a lot of money.

What you consider as the defining characteristic(s) of 'the American dream' or what you consider as 'fair' may not be subject to negotiation with other Americans' ideas about these two things. I don't know. But no one else needs to accept your notions about them.

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Differentially targetting the wealthy for much higher taxes is a typical indication of what freedom, fairness, and the American way of life mean to liberals.

I prefer a flat-tax which takes the same percentage from everyone, unfortunately that's not on the table.

In the mean time, we have a tax code which is riddled with loopholes which allow the wealthy (dis-proportionally) to pay less than their fair share. The existing tax code is already inequitable, so I see nothing wrong with trying to readjust it to bring it back as close to "flat" as possible.

Yea, and excessive tax cuts have been so helpful to job growth and the economy.

Excessive taxation is a barrier to success.

Excessive taxation will limit job growth.