On Tax Day Thank the Rich and Support Lifting the Tax Yoke off Them

Friday, April 5, 2002
By: Edwin A. Locke

Lowering taxes on the rich is a just step toward letting the productive keep what they earn rather than forcing them to support the nonproductive

On Tax Day consider some basic facts. The wealthiest 1% of the taxpayers pay 34% of all federal income taxes. The top 50% pay 96% of the total bill. This means that the least wealthy 50% pay almost nothing. In short, the income tax system soaks the rich. In the name of justice, the President, Congress and the American public should be demanding a tax cut that lowers the tax bill of the wealthy.


But the opponents of tax cuts do not want justice. They want redistribution of wealth. They want to confiscate the income earned by the wealthy and give it to people who have not earned it. They want the rich--which includes the most productive people in society--to be the servants of the poor.


The moral principle used to justify income redistribution is altruism. Altruism does not mean generosity or benevolent concern for the less fortunate. Altruism means: other-ism. It is the doctrine that it is your moral duty to live for others and to sacrifice your life, property and well-being for theirs. It is the code of self-sacrifice. Under altruism the productive are the ones who must give and the non-productive are those who receive. The inability or unwillingness of the non-productive to create wealth gives them a moral claim upon those who do.


The tax code enforces altruism through coercion. Earning money through voluntary trade is replaced by getting money by force in order to achieve the altruistic goal the government desires. But when the property of some people is seized and given to others, it is an injustice.

The doctrine of altruism induces (and is meant to induce) guilt. It makes the successful feel that they have no right to their achievements. The goal of altruism is to disarm the producers morally so that they will not defend their right to their lives and property. Thus the rich often support higher taxes for themselves. Remember in recent years, just as one example, billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett attacking a repeal of the estate tax.


Most Americans would be shocked to learn that altruism is the moral code that underlies Marxism (and thus Communism). Marx's credo was: "From each according to his ability; to each according to his need." Man has no right to exist for himself in this view; he is a servant of the state or society, to be disposed of as they see fit.
No, we have not gone all the way down that road yet, though the progressive income tax has been a step in that direction.

Altruism is the opposite of Americanism. Americanism means you have the inalienable right "to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," which includes property rights. It means that your life and property belong to you, not to the state or to society. It means that the government's proper job is to protect, not to violate, rights. Acting in one's own self-interest (while respecting the rights of others) is fully moral--it is the fundamental requirement of a successful and happy life. It means that you are not an object of sacrifice but a sovereign being. It means that your property belongs to you. It means that every individual, whether rich or poor, has the same rights. Self-reliance, not self-sacrifice, is the American ideal. On Tax Day support tax cuts by promoting the idea of a truly just society: where each man keeps what he earns and has no claim upon the life and property of others.

Edwin A. Locke is Dean's Professor Emeritus of Leadership and Motivation at the University of Maryland at College Park and is a senior writer for the Ayn Rand Institute in Irvine, California. The Institute promotes the philosophy of Ayn Rand, author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

God I love your scewed figures.

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn

Which figures are you refering to, Dank? And ... how do they compare with the figures you have?

Vi

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

Look Vi I have seen two sets of figures out there and it's a toss up which ones are correct. Since the Conservitives (greedy fucks) have been effected by corruption in recent years I doubt the credibility of their figures.

Just remember that Every Great Deomcracy has failed because of internal corruption.

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn

So you, like Med, equate conservative politics to greed? What could be more greedy then the desire for gain at the expense of another?

And by the way ... if you are going to make the claim that "figures are skewed," you really should be able to present the case.

Vi

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

According to the IRS, Vi's figures are correct, at least for the most recent year for which information is available (link provided below.). When you think about it, the data only makes sense, especially when you take into consideration the vast sums being earned by those with the highest incomes.

But does finding out who is actually paying taxes really make a difference to people who have bought into class envy?


www.house.gov/jec/publications/109/2003taxshares.pdf

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"There is a general place in your brain, I think, reserved for 'melancholy of relationships past'. It grows and prospers as life progresses, forcing you finally, against your better judgment, to listen to country music".- Kary Mullis, Nobel Prize Winner for Chemistry

I,m pretty sure these figures were pre '2002', when Bushs' tax cuts kicked in. If you're going to post tax figures, post the current ones and stop trying to bullshit the "young minds" here on this site. You post anything to further your agenda, sort of like Bush, whether it's true not!

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

danky go back and read what you posted Med is right those are figures that are 2003 and before.I have not been disproven on this one, as much as you may think you have.

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn

Yo,

I'm not really trying to prove or disprove anything, just trying to say that when you look at the incomes of those involved, the figures make logical sense.

And my real point is this: even if Vi's figures were proven accurate right up until last year, it would make NO DIFFERENCE to people bought into class envy. It's pointless to argue about the accuracy of the figures when the results make no difference to anybody. I mean get real, would your feelings about the rich change if you suddenly came to believe Vi's figures?

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"There is a general place in your brain, I think, reserved for 'melancholy of relationships past'. It grows and prospers as life progresses, forcing you finally, against your better judgment, to listen to country music".- Kary Mullis, Nobel Prize Winner for Chemistry

I'm not even going to dignify that with a comment, I don't need to waste my energy looking it up.

__________________
The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn