"DSK" wrote in message
...
It's called "progressive" taxation, Max.


"Maxprop" wrote
Which is clearly a failure in concept as applied to the wealthy. The
rich are greedy, not stupid, and they have the means to avoid excessive
taxation.


Or indeed, any taxation they can be it paltry, fair, or "excessive."

To many wealthy people, *any* tax seems confiscatory and excessive.


Gilligan wrote:
Why is it greedy to want to keep what you have earned?


Why is it not considered greedy to get other people to work and take
profit from their labor? Is that not a tax upon the laborers?

Because getting other people to work and organizing their labor is work and
value added. It is not a tax because the laborers agree to a wage and are
paid that.








Can we presume that you are not in favor of a flat tax? g



We've already bankrupted the gov't with various fiscal stupidity.


Seems to work for a number of Balkan and European countries,

Which have vastly different tax structures including a VAT tax.

Are you in favor of a federally imposed VAT tax?

not to mention states like Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Massachusetts,
and Pennsylvania. Indiana has a balanced budget, by the way.

Great. I'm sure they don't tax anything else, either.


But I see you point, Doug. It would be impossible to 'stick it to the
rich' without a progressive (punitive) tax. It's just not fair that
they're rich and you're not.


I am rich. OTOH I am not of that arrogant & stupid ilk who think that any
progressive tax is "punitive." This goes a long way to convince anybody
reading this thread that a flat tax is indeed skewed towards the rich and
appeals mostly to those who are greedy & selfish.

I am poor. I earn less than minimum wage. I think progressive taxation is
punitive.



Just think of it as hush money to keep the starving masses from becoming
so enraged at their lot in life (as compared to yours) that they riot and
burn your house down.


One can use the same argument for owning assualt rifles.




Gilligan wrote:
Stick it to the rich and they shall go elsewhere. The US is not the only
propserous place in the world.


Being rich is just a symptom of workaholism. Any fool can go out and earn
tons of money. Not any fool can go out and live life well.


It's true that lots of fools are rich, but it's not true that *every* fool
is. If we are going to appeal to logic, then let's use accurate logic.


I said any fool can go out and earn tons of money. I did not say all fools
go out and earn tons of money.

DSK