On Sun, Oct 26, 2008 at 1:39 PM, John Williams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote:
> Anecdote seen on the internet: > > Today on my way to lunch I passed a homeless guy with a sign that read > 'Vote Obama, I need the money.' I laughed. Once in the restaurant my > server had on a 'Obama 08' tie, again I laughed as he had given away his > political preference -- just imagine the coincidence. When the bill came I > decided not to tip the server and explained to him that I was exploring the > Obama redistribution of wealth concept. He stood there in disbelief while I > told him that I was going to redistribute his tip to someone who I deemed > more in need -- the homeless guy outside. The server angrily stormed from my > sight. I went outside, gave the homeless guy $10 and told him to thank the > server inside as I've decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy > was grateful. At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution > experiment I realized the homeless guy was grateful for the money he did not > earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn > even though the actual recipient needed money more. I guess > redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow in concept than in > practical application. > The analogy is full of crap: 1) Obama's proposal raises the top two marginal tax rates and capital gains rate by a few percentage points, back to the Clinton-era level. At best, this is not taking the waiter's entire $10 - it'd be more like maybe $.50, and even then, only if the waiter was in the top few percent of the richest people in the country, and that money for the "homeless person" also went to pay for things like his town's police force, fire dept, hospital and schools. 2) Our current tax system under Bush, which McCain supports, is ALREADY a progressive tax system. The wealthy CURRENTLY pay more in taxes. Redistribution of wealth through progressive taxation is already going on and has been going on for probably at least 40-50 years. The argument here is about how much is appropriate, a debate about a few percentage points. And yet the republican reaction is like this: Top marginal tax rate of 35% on the richest 2% of Americans? Hell yeah, all god-loving America supporters stand behind this! Top marginal tax rate of 39.6% on the richest 2% of Americans? It's socialism! The freedom-hating commies are coming to take our livelihoods away! You can make an honest case that these tax higher rates are bad for the economy (though I'd disagree); there's certainly room for discussion and debate there. But these straw-man attacks like your anecdote and those calling Obama a socialist make reasoned debate impossible and frankly make it seem that those making the attacks are afraid they don't have a legitimate argument and have to resort to these tactics instead. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
