Did you know that people in unions used to pay taxes? 50% of us no longer pay taxes at all... Those people would have never felt that it was just that they get something for nothing. Now that the top 50% of the earners pay all the taxes, how much more of the burden percentage do you think they should bear? Should we double it or triple it? Or maybe we can actually have some of that bottom pony up their fair share too.
A nation of looters who believe that the earnings of others is their just recompense. Fight to earn what you are worth rather than work as a branch of one political party and you might get people to join unions again. There is something to say for taking pride in paying your own fair share.
Oh good lord Damo.....you couldn't possibly be that dumb. It's soo freaken easy to disprove your contentions that it aint worth wasting the time.
Even if you're income is so low that you don't pay any affective Federal income tax you still have to pay a largely regressive payroll tax, state taxes, local/municipal taxes, sales taxes, etc, etc. You're just blabbering complete non-sense.
At the federal level the top 10% of income earners (and I'm just barely in that group myself) pay about 65% of Federal income taxes but control 60% of the wealth. That sounds about right to me considering the top 10% benefit disproportionately from government services.
Then let's also consider that most of the top 1% control 30% of the wealth on this nation don't pay much in the way of Federal "income" tax as most of their income comes from the sales of capital assets, such as stock, divedends, investment property, etc. That's taxed at a long term capital gains rate of 15%. That means the vast majority of those in that top 1% on a relative basis are only paying about 15% in Federal tax burden compared to people, like me, who are taxed at a 25% affective rate cause most of my income is coming from wages. Then lets consider that money is not a relative thing. It's an absolute one. A house cost so much, If I want to buy a decent home it's going to cost me $250,000 and not 25% of my income. A decent car is going to cost me $25,000 and not 25% of my income. So it's people in the middle and upper middle classes who get fucked by these stupid regressive taxation schemes. The only thing that would accomplish and is accomplishing is creating an aristocracy of idle wealthy in this nation as 30+ years of failed supply side folly has more the adequatly proven. Promoting investment is one thing but sanctifying investment income as being of more value to society then wage or productive income is class warfare no matter how you try to spin it.
You can't have your cake and eat it too. If the wealthy want to game the system with the low capital gains rates then I say fine. Let's go back to the 70% marginal tax rates that force them to invest it on a "use it or lose it" basis.
High marginal tax rates are not intended to punish the wealthy. It is intended to discourage the consolidation of to much wealth into to few hands which in turn creates social and political instability. it is also intended to keep money in circulation and to prevent a class of idle wealthy who sit on our valuable resources and do not put it to productive use from dominating our nations economic health and wealth!