Coworker's rationale for not taxing the rich (bouncy)

[Carl]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4016420

djohnson  (1000+ posts)        Tue Sep-16-08 08:59 PM
Original message
Coworker's rationale for not taxing the rich
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I never understood why anyone who is poor or middle class cared if the richest 2-5% were taxed more. So I asked my coworker who is threatened with losing his condo and another property bought with interest only loans. His property has gone down in value, nobody's buying, and he's being paid half as much as he was a few years ago. I think his rationale is quite idiotic but I'll do my best to summarize it.

Me: "Why does it seem like more poor Republicans care if the rich are taxed than the rich care themselves. I bet if there was a survey taken, the rich would care LESS if their taxes were raised than poor and middle class Republicans."

Him (silly tone): "You got to keep hope alive."

Me: "Huh?"

Him: "Well I want to be rich someday. But if I want to go from a 250k/yr income to millions per year, a tax increase would increase would make it harder because it would cut into my return on investment."

Me: "Okay, I want to be rich too. I want to start my own business and if I come up with a great product or service I'll have a nice income year after year and paying a little more in taxes would not be a big deal, as long as I continue to produce something valuable."

Him: "I don't want to do that -- I'm not like you. Most rich people didn't work hard to produce anything. I just want to manipulate the system. I ADMIT IT. I don't want to do anything great, I just want to have lots of money and have fun with it."

Me: "That doesn't seem to be in the American spirit which has traditionally been based on the idea that hard work should pay off."

Him: "Think of it this way, we used to be an agricultural society, then we were an industrial society, now we are information/service based, where maybe people should be able to just make a lot of money and not really have to produce anything."

Me: "Wow, I guess you actually are more socialist than I am. Nothing wrong with that. I guess if you want to game a system that lets you do it, then I don't blame you."


Okay, I had a hard time reconciling our perspectives with that last comment. I felt I should since I sit in the same room with him all day.

For quite awhile now, I really have felt that Republicans are more anti-Capitalistic than Democrats, given the fact that they really do not believe in the idea that money should be a measure of one's accomplishment. They think that money comes from schemes and manipulation. And honestly, I've found that the more I talk to a Republicans, they almost always admit it.

How can the bottom be measured for their little stories?

[Chris]

A DUmmy knows someone who makes more than $24,000 a year?  I'm shocked.

People who make money keep this country running.  Those people support dozens of businesses in their community by the virtue of their salaries.  Technicians, bankers, cleaners, mechanics... hundreds of jobs for everyday people are there because some horrible rich person spends the money they earned.

[Chris_]

That one bounced so hard it went through the f'n floor. I'll give it -110 bongs while I sweep up the mess.

[Odin's Hand]

It's like this, DUmmy. Remember when the Goracle bought that million dollar + houseboat/enormous carbon footprint with a portion of many-a-liberals' gubmint checks? Well, that house boat had to be built by glass makers, metal fabricators, welders, machinists, etc. They, in turn, take that money they've earned from producing a comsumable good to feed their families, clothe them, provide them shelter, etc. which are offered by others whom produce consumable goods. Taxing these large-ticket purchases, or those who purchase them, will put many a tradesman out of work because these luxury items will be undesirable because of the accumulated cost versus the utility and durability of said good.

[Chris_]

That one bounced so hard it went through the f'n floor. I'll give it -110 bongs while I sweep up the mess.

Like one of this guy's poopies:

[GOBUCKS]

DUmmy djohnson is trying to stir memories of a legendary bouncy posted by DUmmy WilliamPitt. Although completely overwhelmed by an alcoholic blur, DUmmy WilliamPitt recalled, verbatim, a long-winded imaginary conversation with a ginmill  bouncer, wherein DUmmy WilliamPitt explained politics, and converted the bouncer. This came some time before DUmmy WilliamPitt's utter humiliation due to his Karl Rove "indictment" announcement, and the subsequent crashing of DUmmyland's "Fitzmas" euphoria.

DUmmy WilliamPitt has since apparently descended into an almost perpetual alcoholic stupor, his posts transformed, from the excruciatingly long-winded and boring screeds that were his trademark, to short copy/paste items with no more than 3-4 words of comment. We hear more from his alleged mother, the arrogant DUmmy Raven.

Let's hope that DUmmy djohnson doesn't meet a similar fate. His bouncy is pathetic, and doesn't come close to meeting the comic standard set by DUmmy WilliamPitt.

[jukin]

F-L-U-B-B-E-R mania!