A Tax-the-Rich Scenario that Liberals Should Cheer (Second Edition)

[mikegriffith1]

A number of the liberals in this forum have argued that if the rich make 90% of the all the income earned in America, they should pay 90% of all federal income taxes. Right now the rich pay 39% of all federal income taxes and pay a top marginal rate of 37%. In order for them to pay 90% of all federal income taxes, their tax rate would have to be more than doubled. For example, if they paid a rate of 74%, double their current rate of 37%, they would "only" pay 78% of all federal income taxes. To pay 90% of all federal income taxes, their tax rate would have to be right around 80% (which is not very far from saying that if the rich make 90% of all income, they should pay a tax rate of 90%, but the two ideas are not identical). So I have a scenario:

Suppose that the highest income that anyone earned in the hypothetical nation of Marxist Land happened to be $100,000 per year, and that only 100 of Marxist Land's 1,000 citizens earned that much. Suppose that everyone else in Marxist Land earned less than $2,000. This would make those 100 $100,000 earners the top 10% of earners in the land, and they would be earning 84% of all the income earned by Marxist Land's citizens. Oh, and suppose that all of those top 10% earners happened to be liberals, and that they were already paying an income tax rate of 37%, in addition to their property taxes.

Okay, now, what do you suppose those 100 liberals would say if Marxist Land's legislature tried to pass a law that said that the top 10% should pay 84% of all income taxes because they earn 84% of all the income in the nation. What do you think they'd say?

According to our resident liberals, this would be an eminently fair piece of legislation and a great idea, and would be a great boost to Marxist Land's economy! Do you think those liberals would agree to pay 84% of all the country's income taxes?

 

[mikegriffith1]

OIC. So now that I've removed the liberals' technical excuse for avoiding the central point of the scenario, liberals have nothing to say about it.

So, liberals, if you were the top 10% in the scenario, would you readily agree to paying 84% of the country's income taxes since you would be making 84% of the country's income? You claim that the top 1% makes 90% of U.S. income and should therefore pay 90% of federal income taxes, which is very weird--not to mention Marxist--logic. So why would you not embrace the tax-the-rich scenario in the OP?

 

[danielpalos]

A number of the liberals in this forum have argued that if the rich make 90% of the all the income earned in America, they should pay 90% of all federal income taxes. Right now the rich pay 39% of all federal income taxes and pay a top marginal rate of 37%. In order for them to pay 90% of all federal income taxes, their tax rate would have to be more than doubled. For example, if they paid a rate of 74%, double their current rate of 37%, they would "only" pay 78% of all federal income taxes. To pay 90% of all federal income taxes, their tax rate would have to be right around 80% (which is not very far from saying that if the rich make 90% of all income, they should pay a tax rate of 90%, but the two ideas are not identical). So I have a scenario:

Suppose that the highest income that anyone earned in the hypothetical nation of Marxist Land happened to be $100,000 per year, and that only 100 of Marxist Land's 1,000 citizens earned that much. Suppose that everyone else in Marxist Land earned less than $2,000. This would make those 100 $100,000 earners the top 10% of earners in the land, and they would be earning 84% of all the income earned by Marxist Land's citizens. Oh, and suppose that all of those top 10% earners happened to be liberals, and that they were already paying an income tax rate of 37%, in addition to their property taxes.

Okay, now, what do you suppose those 100 liberals would say if Marxist Land's legislature tried to pass a law that said that the top 10% should pay 84% of all income taxes because they earn 84% of all the income in the nation. What do you think they'd say?

According to our resident liberals, this would be an eminently fair piece of legislation and a great idea, and would be a great boost to Marxist Land's economy! Do you think those liberals would agree to pay 84% of all the country's income taxes?

Raise the minimum wage until the Poor, pay their fair share!

 

[occupied]

Adjust your numbers where the top 20% pays 80% of all taxes and you will have the optimal progressive tax system. In an economy where there are a fairly smooth distribution of incomes between zero and the the top this is the least burdensome tax structure for everyone.

 

[Stormy Daniels]

A number of the liberals in this forum have argued that if the rich make 90% of the all the income earned in America, they should pay 90% of all federal income taxes. Right now the rich pay 39% of all federal income taxes and pay a top marginal rate of 37%. In order for them to pay 90% of all federal income taxes, their tax rate would have to be more than doubled. For example, if they paid a rate of 74%, double their current rate of 37%, they would "only" pay 78% of all federal income taxes. To pay 90% of all federal income taxes, their tax rate would have to be right around 80% (which is not very far from saying that if the rich make 90% of all income, they should pay a tax rate of 90%, but the two ideas are not identical). So I have a scenario:

Suppose that the highest income that anyone earned in the hypothetical nation of Marxist Land happened to be $100,000 per year, and that only 100 of Marxist Land's 1,000 citizens earned that much. Suppose that everyone else in Marxist Land earned less than $2,000. This would make those 100 $100,000 earners the top 10% of earners in the land, and they would be earning 84% of all the income earned by Marxist Land's citizens. Oh, and suppose that all of those top 10% earners happened to be liberals, and that they were already paying an income tax rate of 37%, in addition to their property taxes.

Okay, now, what do you suppose those 100 liberals would say if Marxist Land's legislature tried to pass a law that said that the top 10% should pay 84% of all income taxes because they earn 84% of all the income in the nation. What do you think they'd say?

According to our resident liberals, this would be an eminently fair piece of legislation and a great idea, and would be a great boost to Marxist Land's economy! Do you think those liberals would agree to pay 84% of all the country's income taxes?

This 'analysis' fails on both facts and reasoning. You would have said more if you had said nothing at all.

 

[danielpalos]

abolish the drug war to lower taxes!