The Richest Thousandth Of Americans

[Rikurzhen]

Consider: A few years ago Warren Buffet was - for reasons known only to him - pointing out that he was paying a "smaller share" of his income in federal income taxes than was his secretary.

The economically illiterate in the audience wept for the unfairness of it all.

Had they given it a moment's thought, they would have realized that Buffet paid MILLIONS in Federal income taxes while his secretary paid maybe $10-15 thousand. And yet they both reaped the same benefits from the Federal Government: federal highway system, post office, patent and trademark office, Social Security, national defense, and so forth.

So who is getting screwed here? The one paying $15 thousand or the one paying $15 million?

The answer is too obvious to be articulated.

And yet the person who started this thread would undoubtedly say that the secretary was paying too much, Buffet too little.

What a maroon!

Buffet makes millions off of the highway system, patent protections, military protectionof his overseas investments, trademak protections .....his secretary didn't make a dime

If you have a heart attack and the ambulance uses the highway system to get you to a hospital and there they save your life, you've used the highway system to literally save your life and Buffet hasn't, so now that's unfair and you need to make amends.

How we each use public resources and the individual gains we create from our use doesn't matter, so long as our use doesn't come at the expense of others. If you and I both know a nice young lady and are friends with her but your friendship with her turns to romance while mine doesn't, you haven't stolen my friendship with her away from me. Buffet using the patent system doesn't prevent you from using the patent system.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

you've used the highway system to literally save your life.

yes, roads should be paid for by those who use them in proportion to how much they use them. The idea that the rich need them more than than poor is absurd and idiotic, and just another attempt to redistribute income, cripple more people, and make them dependent voters living off liberal welfare.