Why is taxing the rich considered so taboo by the non-rich?

Juddog

Diamond Member
Dec 11, 2006
7,851
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Something I just don't understand - why would the majority of people care if the taxes on say the top 1% richest people goes up?

Serious question.
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
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Serious answer: propaganda has conditioned them to react that way, and ignorance makes them vulnerable to the propaganda.

They get a lot of wrong ideas about how wealth works, the effects of when it's excessively concentrated, etc.
 
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theeedude

Lifer
Feb 5, 2006
35,787
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Because they imagine themselves in the 1% and they cry when they think they'd have more money than they can ever spend, but a little less than they would have had otherwise.
 

nick1985

Lifer
Dec 29, 2002
27,153
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The top 1% are almost all business owners, and taxing them would give them less capital to expand their businesses or start new businesses. Hence, leaving them unable to hire additional employees to work in these new/expanded businesses.

Rich people dont just sit on their money. They invest it to try and make more. These business investments provide jobs to Americans.

By taxing them, you reduce they money they have to invest, resulting in a hiring drop which therefore increases unemployment. Or at the very least, does nothing to reduce it.


Example:

Business man X wants to hire average Joe's A B and C to open up a new store. Business man X no longer has the money to open up his new store since the government increased his taxes, leaving him with less capital to invest. That taxed money goes into the financial black hole known as the Federal Government, leaving average Joe A B and C unemployed and dependent on the Federal Government for food stamps, unemployment benefits, and housing assistance.
 
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Vic Vega

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2010
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Some people don't believe that "because we can" or "they won't miss it" are good enough reasons to tax one group of people a certain rate but not another.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
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Because it never stops. The government just keeps adjusting the line. Not only that paying more than 50% of your earned income in taxes is just plain wrong on principle.

See Alternative Minimum Tax and phase out rules.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,347
19,503
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Because it never stops. The government just keeps adjusting the line. Not only that paying more than 50% of your earned income in taxes is just plain wrong on principle.

See Alternative Minimum Tax and phase out rules.

This is a fact.

Also, anyone in the top 50% knows what it's like to be raped by those claiming poverty.

As it stands now, half the country is living off the other half.

Enough taxes, period. Anyone in the top 50% is paying 40-50% in combined total taxes.
 

Juddog

Diamond Member
Dec 11, 2006
7,851
6
81
I'm not talking the top 50%. I am only referring to the top 1% here, nobody else.
 

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
35,726
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You would find less opposition to taxation if you let the states collect it and then pay the federal government instead of the federal government collecting it and then paying the states.
 

nick1985

Lifer
Dec 29, 2002
27,153
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81
I'm not talking the top 50%. I am only referring to the top 1% here, nobody else.

I gave you your answer

Also keep in mind, the top 1% currently pays 38% of all income taxes the government recieves.
 

Fear No Evil

Diamond Member
Nov 14, 2008
5,922
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Because even if we took 100% of the money that the top 1% makes it would not solve our spending or debt problems.
 

Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
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Question for conservatives: Do you realize that every dollar given as a tax cut to the rich means raising taxes a dollar on the rest of us?
 

bamacre

Lifer
Jul 1, 2004
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Question for conservatives: Do you realize that every dollar given as a tax cut to the rich means raising taxes a dollar on the rest of us?

That is true except when spending is cut proportionately. So, it's basically always true.
 

Juddog

Diamond Member
Dec 11, 2006
7,851
6
81
I gave you your answer

Also keep in mind, the top 1% currently pays 38% of all income taxes the government recieves.

I was re-iterating my question of the top 1% only due to someone else mentioning the top 50%.
 

nick1985

Lifer
Dec 29, 2002
27,153
6
81
Question for conservatives: Do you realize that every dollar given as a tax cut to the rich means raising taxes a dollar on the rest of us?

I will offer a different perspective.

The money that we allow the richer people to keep will most likely be invested, offering employment to many other regular joes who can then be taxed on said employment. This will lead to a net + in tax income vs. just taxing the shit out of the rich dude and having the regular Joe's remain unemployed or underemployed.
 

dank69

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
37,344
32,955
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I will offer a different perspective.

The money that we allow the richer people to keep will most likely be invested, offering employment to many other regular joes who can then be taxed on said employment. This will lead to a net + in tax income vs. just taxing the shit out of the rich dude and having the regular Joe's remain unemployed or underemployed.
What happened when Bush cut taxes?
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
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Question for conservatives: Do you realize that every dollar given as a tax cut to the rich means raising taxes a dollar on the rest of us?

lol, so that makes it right?

I have a question, why is it that the non-riches solution to everything is to tax the rich?
 

Vic Vega

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2010
4,535
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What I find funny is people who demand an underlying reason to cut taxes or more recently, keep from raising them, like job creation. What happened to "because it's their money"? Some of you sound pretty arrogant, that you might let people keep some of their money if you thought it was for a good reason, like creating jobs. How generous of you.
 

dank69

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
37,344
32,955
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What I find funny is people who demand an underlying reason to cut taxes or more recently, keep from raising them, like job creation. What happened to "because it's their money"? Some of you sound pretty arrogant, that you might let people keep some of their money if you thought it was for a good reason, like creating jobs. How generous of you.
Because, unfortunately, we live in reality, where we need to tax enough to cover our spending. We can't just cut taxes without reducing spending because it creates huge problems like the ones you are seeing today. As for cutting spending, it sounds good on paper, but again in reality, it's not so easy.
 

Vic Vega

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2010
4,535
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Because, unfortunately, we live in reality, where we need to tax enough to cover our spending. We can't just cut taxes without reducing spending because it creates huge problems like the ones you are seeing today. As for cutting spending, it sounds good on paper, but again in reality, it's not so easy.

"Because that's the way it is" is hardly an excuse. The ends don't justify the means, especially when the current ends were created specifically to allow for the means to increase.