Tax Wars

The debate rages on about the extension of the Bush tax cuts, with many on the Left decrying the move to give “the rich” a tax cut because they feel they're not paying their fair share. (Their definition of fair share always seems to be “more than they're paying now,” regardless of how much they're already paying.) Of course it's not really a tax cut because the tax rate isn't being reduced, but maintained at the same level they've been for over 7 years. Then again, whenever taxes on the rich aren't increased they're always seen by the Left as a “cut”. So much for logic.

With all the hullabaloo about the two year extension of the Bush tax rates, it seems the Left is proving itself once again out of touch with a majority of the American people. They also don't differentiate between the working rich, meaning those that have worked hard and continue to do so, earning every penny they make, and those living off of trust funds or investments made long ago. Never mind the working rich likely started with nothing (about 96% of the wealthy in the US fall into this category) and employ hundreds, if not thousands of people.

One of the best commentaries I've read about this issue came from Jared Potter about the WSJ piece linked above:

It's an easy argument to make for Republicans and resonates with most people's ideas of fairness:

If you earned it, it's yours to do with as you please.

If you earned it, paid your taxes on it, and gave it away to someone, it's theirs to do with as they please, because you earned it.

If you didn't earn it, it's none of your business what happens to it.

If you take it away from someone, it's not yours.

If you want it, earn it (or pull a Kerry and marry someone who married someone who did).

I'd say that pretty well sums it up.

Another commenter quoted this from Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. I believe this is part of Fernando's speech about money, wealth, and those who earned it...and those who didn't. It fits in perfectly with the narrative and shows the Left for what they are – envious looters – and how many of them still believe wealth is a zero-sum game.

"But you say that money is made by the strong at the expense of the weak? What strength do you mean? It is not the strength of guns or muscles. Wealth is the product of man's capacity to think. Then is money made by the man who invents a motor at the expense of those who did not invent it? Is money made by the intelligent at the expense of the fools? By the able at the expense of the incompetent? By the ambitious at the expense of the lazy? Money is made--before it can be looted or mooched--made by the effort of every honest man, each to the extent of his ability. An honest man is one who knows that he can't consume more than he has produced."

And that is the crux of the matter. The Left seems to believe that very thing, though they'll couch that belief in all kinds of deceptive rhetoric, making it appear they don't. But in the end, they believe they know how to spend money made by someone else better than the person who actually earned it. It is pure conceit on their part.