A non-combative, serious question for the left.

[flacaltenn]

So, the answer to the OP is that many people; hollywood elite, some businessmen, and some tycoons, feel that they won't mind paying more if it will help others. They don't believe that they will have to give everything untill everyone else has the same amount of money and possessions they just feel that the rich should give more.

My cynicism about some of the Hollywood types' motives may in fact be too cynical.

I'm not convinced about Buffet and the other wealthy businessmen and tycoons. That however, is for another thread and infact has been gone over many times here.

Thanks to all who gave their input maturely. I now return us to our regular abusive postings and threads.

I would argue that the problem is that you have a skewed view, on the part of hollywood, about people in general. They don't live normal lives.

We have shown time after time that throwing money at a problem is not a good approach. The question is what does helping someone out mean. It does not always mean making them comfortable.

In fact, I would say that is not helping them out.

As in say raising the minimum wage. Does nothing to PROMOTE THE PERSON.. All it does is PROMOTE THE JOB.. Making someone COMFORTABLE in a min wage job is NOT compassion or even wise..

 

[onecut39]

How do you know they don't?

Buffett lives in a house he & his wife purchased for $30-40,000 + years ago. Still, no mansion. The Gates family gives, Gate's father fought against the end of the INHERITANCE tax; not all people are selfish, nor is 'giving' to the IRS as simple as some believe*. I personally know 2 people who said, and I paraphrase: "I didn't need an income tax cut, the country needs better schools/the county needs better roads". What is strange about not begrudging money to this nation, while supporting wars like Iraq, where Americans are maimed and die?

*An individual I know miscalculated, over paid, and the IRS sent her a check back, promptly.

The vast majority of Buffet's current income is from capital gains so raising the ncome tax rate would not affect his income in the least.

If Buffet is such a big government man, why didn't he give his fortune to the government?

What is "The Giving Pledge"?

It's an idea that was hatched by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Berkshire Hathaway founder Warren Buffett over lunch at an Omaha diner. Buffett has already annouced that he will donate 99 percent of his $47 billion fortune to charity, with the bulk designated for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, an organization Gates and his wife established to fight global poverty and disease.

Try to catch up. Buffet supports the "Buffet rule" which would mean the super rich paying 30% of their income in taxes. All income.

These people could pay 90% of their income to taxes and still have more than they could possibly spend.........in their next hundred lifetimes.