And that's pretty much what we want to fix here in the USA, and why a lot of people are calling bullshit on the Upper Class. Honestly, a person can live a vastly comfortable life on a million or two USD per year... I can understand, in a way, why they cry out about having all that money taken from them, but then you have to realize that it's the system that is set up here in this country that allowed them to make so much. In that sense, they owe the system a greater due than anyone in the Middle Class is able to pay.
The funny thing is, in the end, I don't see this one thing alone leveling the playing field.
Scary version of the story? This is but one battle, a single skirmish, in a war that is going to be long and exhausting. To gain even a semblance of equality, we are going to have the fight the Upper Class over trade deficit, medical care, education, jobs, welfare, insurance, copyright, and just about anything else that ties into corporate interests. The sad fact is that over the last few decades the Upper Class has gained control over our government, and have been solidifying that control through things such as the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission. This essentially gave corporations no limit to how much money they can spend on their favorite candidate, thus turning elections into a game of "Who's pockets are deeper?"
The Republican Party knows this and their leaders support this. It's what keeps them in power and that's where they want to stay. A prime example of Republicans making similar power grabs is how they redrew the electoral districts in Texas. And let me tell you, that is one huge ratscrew that's being dragged out in the courts. LA Times article here: http://articles.latimes.c...s-redistricting-20120121
So, should we raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans? Even though, by the straight Dollars, they pay more in taxes than any of us can ever dream of making on our salaries? Hell yes. It'll be the first of many victories we'll need in order to win this war.
The funny thing is, in the end, I don't see this one thing alone leveling the playing field.
Scary version of the story? This is but one battle, a single skirmish, in a war that is going to be long and exhausting. To gain even a semblance of equality, we are going to have the fight the Upper Class over trade deficit, medical care, education, jobs, welfare, insurance, copyright, and just about anything else that ties into corporate interests. The sad fact is that over the last few decades the Upper Class has gained control over our government, and have been solidifying that control through things such as the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission. This essentially gave corporations no limit to how much money they can spend on their favorite candidate, thus turning elections into a game of "Who's pockets are deeper?"
The Republican Party knows this and their leaders support this. It's what keeps them in power and that's where they want to stay. A prime example of Republicans making similar power grabs is how they redrew the electoral districts in Texas. And let me tell you, that is one huge ratscrew that's being dragged out in the courts. LA Times article here: http://articles.latimes.c...s-redistricting-20120121
So, should we raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans? Even though, by the straight Dollars, they pay more in taxes than any of us can ever dream of making on our salaries? Hell yes. It'll be the first of many victories we'll need in order to win this war.