I must say that, despite efforts to at least understand some of the standard Republican viewpoints with regard to taxes and size of government, I am left perplexed. Certainly vast differences can exist on social issues such as abortion, gay rights, and religion, and these are legitimate differences of opinion and beliefs that have been, and will remain, difficult to reconcile. But the issues with regards to taxes, many of which seemed grounded strongly in myth, are mystifying.
That the rich should be taxed at a higher percentage than the poor is something that benefits the overwhelming majority of Americans. If this is the land of equal opportunity, it is necessary. The reason for this is simple. Money grows. Popular phrases such as “it takes money to make money” and “making my money work for me” are popular because there is a truth to them. It seems the goal of many Americans to make enough cash that they can live on interest. And for those that have worked hard to get to that point, more power to them. But some things cannot be ignored:
It was the system we have in the United States that allowed you to reach that point. Without the capitalist society we employ, it would have been impossible. What other country affords this? It only stands to reason that those that have succeeded to this point should give back proportionally.
Can we consider those that have reached the point that their fortunes now allow them to live on interest working for their money? No one believes that an individual that works hard should not have a comfortable living and retirement. But is a comfortable living and retirement for 2 lifetimes necessary? What about 5 lifetimes? 20 lifetimes? Half of the upper class in the United States inherited much of the fortune they have. No work whatsoever was necessary for these to have a lifestyle most of us can only imagine, and that fortune will continue to grow with minimal to no effort.
The interest that the upper class “earns” on its money comes from the middle and lower classes. Therefore, “money begets money.” New printed cash naturally flows to the deep end of the pool, even if directed to the shallow end. This leaves the middle and lower classes in a cycle it is nearly impossible to get out of.
In any society, all participants have roles. Valuing some of those roles as vastly superior contributes greatly to the disproportionate wealth. Which member of society is more valuable, the trash collector or baseball player? Based on income, the obvious answer is the athlete, but go a week or two without trash collection, and get back to me.
It needs to be far easier to pay bills and achieve a healthy standard of living, and more difficult to become rich. It’s that simple. Is this a societal problem? Absolutely. We admire Paris Hilton and whoever this week’s Barbie is on The Hills, instead of those that have dedicated themselves and earned what they have. We look at success as being the founder of websites such as Facebook or Plenty of Fish, those whose success can be, in a large way, attributed to luck. We actually look up to those that brag about making the most amount of money in the least amount of time.
What makes this phenomenon most amazing is that it leaves a great many middle class Americans fighting the Obama administration’s policy’s simply to keep the highly unlikely dream of hitting the jackpot of the uber-rich alive. Phrases like “the rich get richer” have been around for generations, but never have they been more true than the last 20 years. It’s time for drastic change. That the large percentage of wealth is now controlled by so few needs to be reversed. Every American deserves a chance at a comfortable life in exchange for hard work. The only way this is even remotely possible is a government led by an intelligent leader focused on fighting for everyone equally. If you are still determined to fight the system that will, for the vast majority of Americans, improve your financial future, in order to hold on to the pipe dream that you will become abundantly wealthy, keep having your Tea Parties.
But you’re better off buying a lottery ticket.
8 comments:
Hey this is really tru man I agree with basically everything you said... it's really ridiculous what is going on, it's nice to see someone writing about what they feel. Keep writing man it's good stuff nd I'll be reading more. I was able to tell from what you say in class that you had similar views to me but I am not so keen on democrat/republican type of stuff like that. I just know it seems like the rich are way too rich and I too am sick of the paris hilton worshippers. It's insane man, truly insane. Good stuff tho. Take it eeasy.
Btw it's mike from history class
Mike,
Thanks for the note. Try not to think of it from a Democrat/Republican viewpoint. Look at each issue individually, being careful to examine both, if not more, sides of the issue. There is nothing worse than siding with a party stance on an issue without first looking at all the facts. I am certainly a Democrat, but that does not mean I agree with every standard Democratic stance. Worry less about the party affiliation, and far more about the issue at hand. The rest comes naturally.
Thanks again for the post!
I chanced upon this blog and I like your point of view. I think you are right for the most part on this topic.
I personally don't have a problem with the wealthy. As a huge football fan, a player making 8 Million a year isn't a problem, when you consider how much revenue the NFL generates, that money has to go somewhere.
But it shouldn't be harder to get rich. That is the single biggest motivator to innovation... the idea that your one idea can be the next facebook, youtube, or google. What needs to happen is a shift in cultural ideology - less of a hoarding mentality, and more sense of shared responsibility. However, you need a large event or magnanimous personality to incite people to change... hopefully Obama has enough charisma to pull it off.
The Law,
Thank you for your comment, and I very much enjoyed reading your blog as well. Very well done.
I have received quite a few emails with the same argument you present. Therefore, I have responded to it as a new blog post.
Again, thanks for the post, and I look forward to reading more of your blog.
Nice post! GA is also my biggest earning. However, it’s not a much.
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