RDD_1210
Forms his own opinions
- May 13, 2010
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A flat tax isn't fair because all dollars aren't equal.
Money is just a token of exchange. Money is worth what it buys. When someone pays a tax, the way to evaluate how much he is losing to fund public expenses is best measured by what he would otherwise buy with that money, not by counting the dollars. Everyone spends money first on necessities, then on luxuries, then on savings and investment, finally on gambling.
The first money is always spent on necessities: food, clothing, shelter. If one is sufficiently poor, ALL one's money goes to this.
After necessities are taken care of, if one has more money, one spends on luxuries up to a point: eating at a decent restaurant, having a nice apartment or owning a home, having nice clothes, entertainment, and so on.
At some point, one has all one's necessities taken care of and enough luxuries for now, and if one still has more money it goes into saving and investment towards a big purchase or retirement or whatever.
If one is really rich, at some point money over and above all of these needs and desires is simply played with in various non-productive ways.
If your tax takes money that would otherwise be gambled and played with, it's taking nothing of any real value at all.
If it takes money that would otherwise be saved and invested, or spent on luxuries, then it's taking something of significant value.
If it takes money that would otherwise be spent on necessities, it's taking a person's means of survival.
A one hundred percent tax on income above the point where it would be gambled is a lower tax than a one percent tax on income so low it would be spent on necessities.
Yes dollars ARE equal.. you just love to put personal aspects of individuals ON dollars... is the dollar earned by the pizza driver not the exact same as the dollar earned by Charles Barkley and exactly the same as the dollar you earn??
You put SUBJECTIVE shit into your argument...
Equal treatment... you don't get to call for it only when it benefits you, and then subsequently call for the removal of it on others when it benefits you
But doesn't your point highlight that our current system is "fair" in that it taxes the dollars and not the person. Meaning that everyones first $20k is taxes the same way, just as everyones million + is taxed the same way. It's the money that is taxed, not the person.