Patriotism and Taxes
Just a quick thought on this:
Conservatives are howling about Biden's claim, but it's hard for me to think of anything significantly wrong with it. In fact, I've had the same thought myself many, many times, and I'll bet you have, too.
My version of the thought goes like this: if it's permissible for us, occasionally, to ask eighteen-year-old kids to go across the ocean and be killed to defend this country before they've even lived their life, then I think it's permissible for us to ask people making a quarter of a million dollars a year (plus) to pay their fair share of taxes.
Is it patriotic to pay your taxes? Given a basically just country with a basically fair tax system: yes, so far as I can tell. It's patriotic to do your fair share for your country, and that means paying your fair share of taxes. And that's all anyone is asking of anyone, including the $250k+/yr set.
Look, I think that grumbling about your taxes is as American as apple pie. In fact, I think it's kind of important to grumble about your taxes. It's a way of reminding the government to neither tax nor spend frivolously. I actually feel like I have some kind of duty to grumble more about my taxes, though my heart's just not in it.
But I am really fed up with people who have more money than any reasonable person needs whining so vociferously any time anyone even suggests that they pay their fair share. The tax burden on the rich impacts them far, far less than my tax burden impacts me, and you don't hear me whining about it. It's downright disgusting if you ask me. Which you didn't.
But I do actually have a better idea: how about all you lackwits who voted for George W. Bush pay the three trillion dollars for his crack-brain war? That'll significantly reduce the tax burden on a lot of us.
Just a quick thought on this:
Conservatives are howling about Biden's claim, but it's hard for me to think of anything significantly wrong with it. In fact, I've had the same thought myself many, many times, and I'll bet you have, too.
My version of the thought goes like this: if it's permissible for us, occasionally, to ask eighteen-year-old kids to go across the ocean and be killed to defend this country before they've even lived their life, then I think it's permissible for us to ask people making a quarter of a million dollars a year (plus) to pay their fair share of taxes.
Is it patriotic to pay your taxes? Given a basically just country with a basically fair tax system: yes, so far as I can tell. It's patriotic to do your fair share for your country, and that means paying your fair share of taxes. And that's all anyone is asking of anyone, including the $250k+/yr set.
Look, I think that grumbling about your taxes is as American as apple pie. In fact, I think it's kind of important to grumble about your taxes. It's a way of reminding the government to neither tax nor spend frivolously. I actually feel like I have some kind of duty to grumble more about my taxes, though my heart's just not in it.
But I am really fed up with people who have more money than any reasonable person needs whining so vociferously any time anyone even suggests that they pay their fair share. The tax burden on the rich impacts them far, far less than my tax burden impacts me, and you don't hear me whining about it. It's downright disgusting if you ask me. Which you didn't.
But I do actually have a better idea: how about all you lackwits who voted for George W. Bush pay the three trillion dollars for his crack-brain war? That'll significantly reduce the tax burden on a lot of us.
posted by Winston Smith at
2:17 AM
1 Comments:
WS writes:
"I actually feel like I have some kind of duty to grumble more about my taxes, though my heart's just not in it."
I agree, but not on the general grounds that such grumbling "[is] a way of reminding the government to neither tax nor spend frivolously."
Instead I agree on the specific grounds that there are Americans "who have more money than any reasonable person needs whining so vociferously any time anyone even suggests that they pay their fair share. The tax burden on the rich impacts them far, far less than my tax burden impacts me, ... . It's downright disgusting."
I think it is your duty to grumble -- nay, bellow in outrage -- over the gross inequity in the distribution of the tax burden.
And remember, spending is taxation. We will feel the tax burden of GWB for many, many, years to come.
In fact, we still haven't finished paying off the Ronald Reagan Deficit, so it isn't even clear when we will be able to start paying down the George W Bush Deficit.
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