Are the Rich the best custodians of society?

In response to:
"Tax the Rich, Corporations, and..." You people always fall for that one. @ How Your Government Sees it... blog

While [what you say] sounds quite good- indeed, downright humanitarian- I'm afraid that you are being taken in by a well-funded group of hucksters. These are the very arguments by which the "super rich" wish to further reduce their tax burdens.

The single grain of truth to what you say lies in the downward definition of the "wealthy" that is pushed by Clinton-style democrats. In fact, the most lasting tax adjustment Clinton made was the expansion of the payroll tax, which increased the burden on hard-working people a great deal during his tenure (and has been retained since).

However, "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing." This fact, which might be used to reduce the redistribution of wealth from the poor to the wealthy (yes- did you know that this is the main "redistribution" which now occurs?), is used to give cover to shabby half-truths by bought-and-paid-for snake-oil salesman like Dr. Jorgan.

For instance, the argument against the alternative minimum tax- which provided "the people" a defense against the "loopholes" used by the rich- was defeated by the clever sophistry of such "thinkers."

In essence, the argument of Jorgan and his ilk boils down to this: being rich is evidence that you are better than everyone else, therefore the rich should be given as much money as possible. That this notion can still be believed after the massive scams that have been revealed over the last 10 years, from Enron and Worldcom to Madoff and Goldman, is evidence of just how powerful the hold of greed and deceit is over the minds of American.

I once was blind, but now I see. I hope the same may hold true for you.

Regards,
Sam