The wealthy didn't go broke during the Clinton years paying the higher tax rates

[eleny]

They were still the wealthiest among us.
I rest my case.

(So they can shut the spigot on the crocodile tears.)

[MichiganVote]

1. But....we're just killing them don't you know. Poor little rich girls and boys.

Pathetic cultural leeches.

[eleny]

2. It's just so simple and you're 100% right - leeches

[Demeter]

3. For sure! They Managed to buy nearly the complete set of Legislators

Representatives and Senators, dripping in oil and lucre, wrapped in the furs of extinct species, each in its own commemorative box.

And don't forget the Judges! Collect them all, including the fabulous Supremes!

[eleny]

4. That's exactly it, D. They didn't just survive...

They thrived to compete with each other on an astounding level of consumption. They've reached an obscene level of entitlement.

[Taverner]

5. What!?!?! Do you want to punish sucess???

They always throw out that line, and I usually reply: "No I want them to pay their fair share! The more money you have, the more you rely on the government. QED, The Rich should pay more in taxes by both gross and by percentage"

[eleny]

7. Right - I want them to show some gratitude - for once

[Taverner]

12. The Rich use more government resources than the poor or middle class

A rich man has investments. Usually quite a few. Often these involve trans-pacific and trans-atlantic shipping. To keep the sea free of pirates, it costs quite a bit. Every time we take down Somali pirates, it costs a few thousand to a million. They also have stores where, if an employee or customer steals, they need the police. They also want to make sure their warehouses don't burn to the ground. That costs money too. They also, by doing business here, expect the education of their workers, their customers, to be at least on par with most industrialized countries. That costs money too. To secure trade deals that lower government tariffs and taxes, that costs money. The government needs viable sources of funding, and tariffs are one of them. And at the heart of this, if they want their employees to be 'creative' they need Research and Development grants. Those too cost money. Do you think the internet got created for free? Take the genome sequencing - even though Chiron and Genentech can't claim monopoly rights over the human genome - they still get to make shitloads of cash from this technology.

Freedom and Government aren't free. You have to pay for it. And who better than its biggest users?

[eleny]

13. Amen

[mod mom]

6. but they need so much more these days just to keep up.

:mad:

[eleny]

11. They kept up just fine during the Clinton years buying legislatures and other goodies

So they'll keep up just fine in the years ahead.

They did it then so how can they not do it now?

[Canuckistanian]

8. But if you tax them too much they'll get all depressed and shit

Then they won't feel like giving jobs to poor people any more.

They're such delicate flowers.

[eleny]

9. They didn't seem to be "depressed and shit" during the Clinton years

See, it works every time. The proof is that they're here in ever bloating riches.

[Canuckistanian]

18. No, they sure didn't

I wasn't disagreeing with your premise. The rich have NEVER had it tough at ANY point in history.

on edit: Well, maybe during the French Revolution.

[eleny]

20. I understood that we're in agreement. I just liked how you put it, so quoted you

:hi:

[shanti]

10. of course they didn't

how much damn money does one person need anyway???

[ohtransplant]

14. Had a middle class worker bee tell me the rich pay too much

in taxes. He was referring to some web site that says the rich pay all the taxes and 47% of 'murkins pay no tax at all.

It was all the typical talking points; if we tax the rich they'll stop creating jobs...I asked him where all the jobs have been for 10 years while they piled up their gold...no answer. He's asking for facts about income disparity and respective tax rates.

The helpless rich people pay too much in taxes. I told him the poor would gladly trade places. Would the rich?

How do you have these conversations with people who refuse to understand or use common sense??? (rhetorical question)

[eleny]

16. "The helpless rich" - How did they ever make it through the Clinton years so well?

[Drale]

15. They didn't go broke during the 50's either

when their tax rate was at its highest, and they where still richer then most of us.

[eleny]

17. I was a kid back then and even remember seeing rich people

[Kablooie]

19. Heck, they didn't go broke during the Eisenhower years when tax rates were dramatically higher.

[eleny]

21. Seems like the wealthiest wheeler dealers, like Trump, land on their feet

[DefenseLawyer]

23. It is always easier to "land on your feet"

after you inherited 100 million dollars worth of Manhattan real estate. I recommend it to everyone.

[eleny]

24. Amen to that

[Mnemosyne]

22. K&R for a simple truth. n/t

[gratuitous]

25. And even with that onerous tax burden

Any number of the wealthy tried to amass even more riches. They weren't discouraged from making more money, they "worked" to grab even more. And we had balanced budgets, even paying down the national debt for the first time since before Reagan proved deficits don't matter (but they do now, apparently).

It's almost as if the people whining about the overrich paying their fair share are lying or something.

[cutlassmama]

26. They have that victim mentality now.