Should we Tax the rich as an economic resolve?

I don't think it would be right to say that all rich people have worked hard to get lots of money.

" socialism "

I'm sure Will Smith worked much harder than any of us to earn his 42 million dollar house.  After all, he was like in 7 movies.  Getting up at noon and welcoming aliens to erf is hard.  How dare you tax him more.  Everyone knows you can't live comfortably in a 41 million dollar house!

" @Tarsier said:

" socialism "

And as someone who's not in the top 2% of wealth, I'm just fine with that. "

Should we tax the witches as an economic resolve?

Laffer Curve! 
 
...I mean Video Games!

This doesn't seem like a loaded question at all...

Reductionism ahoy! 
 
I voted A, but "taxing the rich" is an amorphous concept that lacks any of the accuracy required of economic policy.

" I'm sure Will Smith worked much harder than any of us to earn his 42 million dollar house.  After all, he was like in 7 movies.  Getting up at noon and welcoming aliens to erf is hard.  How dare you tax him more.  Everyone knows you can't live comfortably in a 41 million dollar house! "

" Most of them didn't really work all that hard now did they, let's be honest here. "

No, don't be ignorant.

I think we should tax the poor people.  OF THEIR CANDY!!!

" Reductionism ahoy!  I voted A, but "taxing the rich" is an amorphous concept that lacks any of the accuracy required of economic policy. "

" I'm sure Will Smith worked much harder than any of us to earn his 42 million dollar house.  After all, he was like in 7 movies.  Getting up at noon and welcoming aliens to erf is hard.  How dare you tax him more.  Everyone knows you can't live comfortably in a 41 million dollar house! "

as we all know, trying to look after the majority of your citizens is the same as overseeing the holocaust.

Let's be honest, if you're a billionaire, you're not going to be any less-off with a couple million gone.  
 
Example: You have 10 billion dollars sitting in a pot. Whenever you invest it or spend it on something, you take the money from the top of the pot and use it. Since you have soooooo much money, you're never gonna use the money at the bottom of the pot, because you'll never get there. Make sense? So why not tax the insanely rich a little more. 

" @Wipeout said:

" I'm sure Will Smith worked much harder than any of us to earn his 42 million dollar house.  After all, he was like in 7 movies.  Getting up at noon and welcoming aliens to erf is hard.  How dare you tax him more.  Everyone knows you can't live comfortably in a 41 million dollar house! "

Wait, Will Smith has a 42 million dollar house? So that's where my subscription money went. I wonder how much Norm's place is worth. "

Take from the rich, give to the poor. :)

This whole thread is making me cringe. I hope I'm never financially successful. 

" socialism "

No.  Straight flat tax on everything.  The rich buy more and therefore will give more naturally.  Those that are poor and can't afford as much won't be taxed as much.

I think taxing is the wrong way to go about it. However, some of those billions in bonuses should be spread around the lower-worker wages as well, because after all they are just as responsible for the companies success as anyone. When a company manages to get more work done without hiring anyone new, who do you think actually did the extra work? It wasn't management.
 
I'm not saying managers and CEOs should make the same as hourly employees, but come on, you can afford to pay them more than that. Henry Ford knew he'd get the best out of his workers if he paid them well, and look how that turned out.

" This whole thread is making me cringe. I hope I'm never financially successful.  "

" No.  Straight flat tax on everything.  The rich buy more and therefore will give more naturally.  Those that are poor and can't afford as much won't be taxed as much. "

" This whole thread is making me cringe. I hope I'm never financially successful.  "

Yes, but the Republicans are already doing a great job at keeping that from ever happening.

TAX THE RICH, probleme is solved. The economy is now fixed and all the debts are gone hooray 

Well, supposedly if we don't tax them then we see more jobs. That's what I'm hoping for. I don't care if the ass holes get enough money to buy private jets everyday. I want a job. 
 
BUT, if I don't see any jobs opening up within the next few months (or before my unemployment runs out), then I'm protesting. I don't know exactly what I'll protest, but I'll make signs goddamnit. And they won't be pretty.

" @SpikeSpiegel said:

" This whole thread is making me cringe. I hope I'm never financially successful.  "

Why? "

" I think taxing is the wrong way to go about it. However, some of those billions in bonuses?

I'm a socialist. Which means that I have very strong views on this subject, which are likely to be ignored.

" @Fajita_Jim said:

" I think taxing is the wrong way to go about it. However, some of those billions in bonuses?

Billions? i'm sure they get high bonuses but not billions :P. Those business people make most of their money from the dividends :P. But yeah, having EVERY stakeholder(not shareholder) in the company having a say will increase the democratic internalization present in corporate ownership and can help evenly distribute profits. "

" @Tarsier said:

" socialism "

"

" @cgoodno said:

" No.  Straight flat tax on everything.  The rich buy more and therefore will give more naturally.  Those that are poor and can't afford as much won't be taxed as much. "

Ur kidding? the Poor spend a lot more than the rich in terms of ratio... mostly because they have to to survive.  "

"@SpikeSpiegel said:

" This whole thread is making me cringe. I hope I'm never financially successful.  "

if you are you will have exploited a lot of people, that can be your revenge. i.e you market your product well and people who don't need/ can't afford your product will buy it, this would be the most benign form of exploitation you would be guilty of as a business person. I'm not a communist, but successful capitalist != nice guy. The postives you would bring to an employee; wages are unintentional, as you wish to pay them the least amount that will ensure productivity/loyalty. "

" All people who don't have a ton of money will always say they think the rich should be taxed more, because they're envious of the money they don't have.  They will cite the worst examples of people with a lot of money and equate hard work with physical labour, forgetting the genius and good sense that makes many rich people their fortunes.  Polls like this are useless. "

" @gamefreak9 said:

" @SpikeSpiegel said:

" This whole thread is making me cringe. I hope I'm never financially successful.  "

Why? "

Because then there will be a ton of poor people looking at him and saying he shouldn't have everything he has and they should have some of it because they don't make as much as he does.  Somehow it's his fault  they aren't more well off.  My wife is the comptroller for a small insurance company.  This company employs about 28 people at a single time, full time employees with benefits.  These employees make 10-20% more than the average insurance employee who works 40 hours a week and only work 35 hours a week.  They're a union.  The owners make about half a million a year after running this business for over 30 years.  Much of that they donate.  They live in a townhome in Gaithersburg, MD when they could live in a really nice place in North Potomac with lots of land.  Yet, every two years when the union redoes their contract, they treat the owner as if he's trying to rob them of money and take home more money for himself when he offers up 3-5% raises for his employees each year in addition to the bonuses he hands out at the end of the year.  Not every rich/successful person out there is like this, but people don't see that and they just see rich/successful people as those who need to give them more without regard to what they actually deserve and what people who do their jobs elsewhere get.  People are greedy, rich and poor people alike.   "

" I'm sure Will Smith worked much harder than any of us to earn his 42 million dollar house.  After all, he was like in 7 movies.  Getting up at noon and welcoming aliens to erf is hard.  How dare you tax him more.  Everyone knows you can't live comfortably in a 41 million dollar house! "

" Well, supposedly if we don't tax them then we see more jobs. That's what I'm hoping for. I don't care if the ass holes get enough money to buy private jets everyday. I want a job.  BUT, if I don't see any jobs opening up within the next few months (or before my unemployment runs out), then I'm protesting. I don't know exactly what I'll protest, but I'll make signs goddamnit. And they won't be pretty. "

NO! I work hard for this money!! 
 
*sits in an air conditioned office and posts on the internet for 6 hours a day*

" We would probably be better off if we could agree on what amount of money or income makes someone rich.  Is 100k a year rich or is it 10 million?  Also, what level of taxation are we talking about?  I think the more money you make a year, the higher percentage you should be taxed on it.  If someone is only making 20k a year they really need every penny of it. "

" @cgoodno said:

" @gamefreak9 said:

" @SpikeSpiegel said:

" This whole thread is making me cringe. I hope I'm never financially successful.  "

Why? "

Because then there will be a ton of poor people looking at him and saying he shouldn't have everything he has and they should have some of it because they don't make as much as he does.  Somehow it's his fault  they aren't more well off.  My wife is the comptroller for a small insurance company.  This company employs about 28 people at a single time, full time employees with benefits.  These employees make 10-20% more than the average insurance employee who works 40 hours a week and only work 35 hours a week.  They're a union.  The owners make about half a million a year after running this business for over 30 years.  Much of that they donate.  They live in a townhome in Gaithersburg, MD when they could live in a really nice place in North Potomac with lots of land.  Yet, every two years when the union redoes their contract, they treat the owner as if he's trying to rob them of money and take home more money for himself when he offers up 3-5% raises for his employees each year in addition to the bonuses he hands out at the end of the year.  Not every rich/successful person out there is like this, but people don't see that and they just see rich/successful people as those who need to give them more without regard to what they actually deserve and what people who do their jobs elsewhere get.  People are greedy, rich and poor people alike.   "

Yes i am not denying the existence of moral business but the monetary distribution speaks for itself, not talking about who is smarter or nicer or sexier or w/e. You know that theres tax benefits for contributing a percentage of a high income to charity right? Anyways, i do believe they deserve to live more comfortably the question is, to what extent, people don't know where to draw the line between overabundance and deserve, do you think Mark Zuckenberg who has billions deserves to live 1000000 times more comfortably than a 30 thousand income family in the bronx? "

" @gamefreak9 said:

" @cgoodno said:

" No.  Straight flat tax on everything.  The rich buy more and therefore will give more naturally.  Those that are poor and can't afford as much won't be taxed as much. "

Ur kidding? the Poor spend a lot more than the rich in terms of ratio... mostly because they have to to survive.  "

In terms of all rich compared to poor, perhaps.  But, in terms of 1 rich person to 1 poor person, no.  One rich person spends more than any one poor person, which in turn would result in them paying more taxes.  Last time I checked a Toyota was heck of a lot less than a luxury car.  A 1-bedroom apartment is a lot less than a 40-acre mansion.  Eating food from McDonalds costs a heck of a lot less than going out to eat at a 4-star restaurant.   Taking the bus costs a lot less than owning your own jet or flying first class.  Sorry, but looking at the statistics from your viewpoint is extremely flawed.  And this is from someone from a household that earns more than $250k a year.  I buy a ton of video games and other products, and by supporting my own hobbies I will be paying more taxes than those who aren't able to support such a hobby. "

Remember when getting 'rich' was a goal for people?  For most people, getting 'rich' is a result of hard work.  We, at times, like to focus on those who come in to money but, most of the time, millionaires and billionaires worked for that money.  Bill Gates is a smart man who developed a concept and cultivated a company without coming from a rich family (though they were upper middle class he wasn't born with a silver spoon).  So, when I look at rich people I see people who deserve all of the money they have.  Not that 'poor' people don't deserve money either.  Before going to graduate school, I worked in retail while I was going through my undergraduate program.  I met a lot of great, hard working people who will never reach that 'rich' status.  I would argue that they work just as hard as a person like Bill Gates.  But Bill Gates, and most rich people, ultimately do deserve whatever they make.
 
So why should we punish these people?  Why is the average person deserving of the money a rich person has earned?  As a student, I'm not rich.  I'm below poor. I don't make money at all.  But, I don't feel that I'm deserving of the money that someone else has made.  Likewise, I don't believe that our government is deserving of the money that a rich person has earned.  The government is like a family, they have a set income and specific monetary responsibilities.  Like a family, government shouldn't spend their income until the monetary responsibilities are met.  The budget deficit means that they didn't do this.  So why should those monetary responsibility now fall on the 'rich'?
 
I think that if a person succeeds in life, they shouldn't be punished because others haven't succeeded to that level.  Most of us work hard and earn every cent that we make.  However, life is such a way that there will always be some people who make more money then other people.  That's just the way life is.  The people who are satisfied in their lives are the ones who look at success and happiness beyond income.  I know that's an easy statement to make when I don't have a family and make 20K a year.  But, there truly is more to life then what is in your bank account.  I think that the average person should look to improve their own lives rather then counting the money of those they are jealous of.

" Remember when getting 'rich' was a goal for people?  For most people, getting 'rich' is a result of hard work.  We, at times, like to focus on those who come in to money but, most of the time, millionaires and billionaires worked for that money.  Bill Gates is a smart man who developed a concept and cultivated a company without coming from a rich family (though they were upper middle class he wasn't born with a silver spoon).  So, when I look at rich people I see people who deserve all of the money they have.  Not that 'poor' people don't deserve money either.  Before going to graduate school, I worked in retail while I was going through my undergraduate program.  I met a lot of great, hard working people who will never reach that 'rich' status.  I would argue that they work just as hard as a person like Bill Gates.  But Bill Gates, and most rich people, ultimately do deserve whatever they make.  So why should we punish these people?  Why is the average person deserving of the money a rich person has earned?  As a student, I'm not rich.  I'm below poor. I don't make money at all.  But, I don't feel that I'm deserving of the money that someone else has made.  Likewise, I don't believe that our government is deserving of the money that a rich person has earned.  The government is like a family, they have a set income and specific monetary responsibilities.  Like a family, government shouldn't spend their income until the monetary responsibilities are met.  The budget deficit means that they didn't do this.  So why should those monetary responsibility now fall on the 'rich'?  I think that if a person succeeds in life, they shouldn't be punished because others haven't succeeded to that level.  Most of us work hard and earn every cent that we make.  However, life is such a way that there will always be some people who make more money then other people.  That's just the way life is.  The people who are satisfied in their lives are the ones who look at success and happiness beyond income.  I know that's an easy statement to make when I don't have a family and make 20K a year.  But, there truly is more to life then what is in your bank account.  I think that the average person should look to improve their own lives rather then counting the money of those they are jealous of. "

The problem is that the really rich (i.e. millionaires, billionaires) don't pay regular taxes on their income that the rest of the people do as the reason for their wealth is mainly investments, not regular income. Hence the really rich aren't affected by income taxes since they pay capital gains taxes, not income taxes. So if you want to tax the people who are really rich, you'd have to increase capital gains taxes, not income taxes. Increasing income taxes for the upper bracket mainly just increases the taxes for people like doctors, lawyers, or small business owners.

" Should we tax the witches as an economic resolve? "