Before we move in to today's discussion, I feel it is extremely important to disclose the following information: I am poor. I don't mean that I'm poor in a way that I'm living beyond my means by purchasing multiple vehicles, McMansions, dining out 6 days a week, etc. I am not so poor that I worry about where my next meal will come from, but that is the exact limit of what I don't worry about. I juggle my bills so much, that I'm considering joining the circus.
That being said, I cannot fathom how those who are poor like I am, or even those who have enough means that paying bills is just something they do, because it's part of life, think that anyone who is "rich" (a highly malleable term, depending on the situation/politician speaking) should pay exponentially more in taxes and penalties because they made the mistake of being 'successful' and 'rich'.
What?
The American Dream has always been (or at least, it has been previous) that by working hard and doing things the right way, you would succeed, and in some manner of speaking become 'rich'. Whether that means you're Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, or a gal/guy who has found their way in to their own home, it was something to aspire to.
However, a politician's dream is to find a base of committed voters that he/she can tap in to in order to guarantee continued election, because hey, if there's anything better than a guaranteed check, it's one that comes with power and lots of fringe benefits. At its absolute worst, you get someone like Adolph Hitler who tapped in to the frustration of the German people to push the his nation and the world to war. On the not all the way to the other side of the spectrum, you have the U.S. political system.
Fortunately for us, as citizens in the U.S., our politicians are not that nefarious, or perhaps they are simply not as charismatic as Hitler was. They choose to divide the citizenry across many lines, but the two chief ways (often used interchangeably by those who employ this strategy) are race and class. Those who articulate this strategy come up with clever tag lines like "the rich should pay their fair share".
The question that I would like someone with a little more power and influence than I have is "How much is fair?" According to government records (I wish I had a more reliable source, but they are the keepers of data), in 2011 the richest 1% of the nation paid 38% of the tax burden in this country. That's a pretty healthy share, if you ask me. On the other hand, the bottom 50% pay 3% of the total tax burden (and many of those pay zero tax dollars, or even receive money despite not paying any tax, or receive a larger return than they paid in total taxes.)
Is that fair?
There are other, farther ranging arguments that we could delve in to with regard to the taxation of the American public, and on another day, we can. For now, I'd like to stay focused on the singular topic of how politicians use class structure to divide the nation, and keep them occupied in a way that prevents the citizens from noticing how badly the politicians are messing the nation up.
When a politician says it "isn't fair" that Taxpayer A earned let's say, $10,000,000 last year, while taxpayer B only earned $24,000, he/she couldn't care less about taxpayer B. As a fact, our politicians don't look at this situation and try to figure out how to help Taxpayer B become more like Taxpayer A, because there's no votes in that. Instead of trying to lift Taxpayer B up (which would require effort, time, and actual thinking), politicians of this ilk instead look at Taxpayer A and say "Damn, he/she is loaded. Why aren't they paying more taxes, to help little old Taxpayer B with their lot in life." This takes no thought process (outside of what the benefit to said politician will be), and gives the politician an "Evil" to campaign against. "It's the fault of the Rich people that your life isn't everything you hoped it would be." Yeah, that's probably what it is. It's not hard work, it's not putting in extra effort, trying hard, failing but getting back up, and finding a way to succeed. None of those qualities exist in a politician's mind who employs this strategy (and why should they, when their entire life is a walk in the park and they don't have to consider those things in order to continue to be 'successful' at their chosen career.)
Now I should clarify: clearly not all of those who are rich got there by honest means. Some undoubtedly employed nefarious actions or told outright lies to get to their position as part of the "Evil Rich". Al Gore's name comes to mind, but that's just my bias, I'm certain. Dude's got a Nobel Prize and it's not like just give those things out like candy, you really have to earn them.* Then there are others who attained their wealth by breaking laws and the like. The proper way to punish them, of course, would be to charge them with the crimes they've committed and send them away from their cozy mansions for a nice long stretch.
What shouldn't happen is those that have worked hard to build something up, or have continued the work of previous generations to be taxed at a ridiculous rate simply because that is the only 'solution' that politicians can come up with. At a time when our economy is stagnant, at best, money should be in the hands of those that know what to do to turn things around. By that, I mean any place but in Washington, D.C. (or a state capital, for that matter.) The next time you hear about the "Evil Rich", consider the source, and then start thinking about what that person has to gain by pointing fingers at those that most help keep our nation moving forward.
