Regardless of MPC; I believe the two of you are missing the larger ethical consideration. What right does the US government have to redistribute wealth of its citizens?

The government is supposed to protect it's people, assumably even from financial dangers like wealth condensation. Thats what John Locke said anyway.

The constitution states no such power for the federal government. Unless you are claiming a the common "general welfare" clause which is completely a perversion of the original authors intentions.

Considering the constitution was heavily influenced by John Locke and Locke said it was 'not unreasonable to think that the rich should pay more' I think it is a very apt interpretation of the constitution. Furthermore don't try to use the constitution to fit your motives, it's uncouth.


Forget the constitution, having lawyers in my family I recognize it's bullshit, especially constitutional law. The issue at hand is the government protecting its citizens, their security is its entire purpose after all right?

It is my opinion and that of most of the world the the rest of society should be protected from the rich and from threats like wealth condensation. There are many scientific rationals for the graduated tax bracket system and I would implore you to research them as they will enlighten you to a lot of problems (which this system attempts to address).

If we even had something like a linear tax system it would be to the great detriment to those of society who are not ultra wealthy.

I personally think we should redo the brackets, make one for the ultra wealthy, and hike up that rate extremely high. There is no reason why someone who works every day of their life should struggle while someone else can buy a billion dollar yacht. It's ridiculous and not conducive to a just society.

I am of the opinion of plato and socrates that a good society is a just society.

Your society sounds terrible and I will have no part in it. It is completely unjust and immoral.

You cannot seize property from an individual and use it for your idealistic experiment.

Income condensation is not a problem; you may personally have issues with it; but please leave the rest of us out of it.

I actually own a business; and I know what the difficulties are of doing so in the current environment. If you really were to want to help those who are working everyday long hours; here I am. I ask for you to do nothing for me. Just stop changing the rules of business to suit your needs. It makes the environment very difficult to do business in.

PS. Thanks for the banking crisis; and soon coming currency crisis. I'll take Austrian economists; over this broken Keynesian crap.

Believe deregulation in the 80s made the banking crisis even possible, but I guess that's what happens when you reject Keynes.

The average business owner is hurt by corrupt systems like the healthcare cartel and military-industrial complexes. So I can understand that sort of aversion. That being said, these problems seem corportist in nature to me rather than the government controlling too much it asserts it's control/dominance over very little!

My family owns a business as well and I am quite familiar with the struggle my parents have had to ensure my future. I'd like to live in a world that allows for class mobility, one that protects workers, and one that isn't just corporate feudalism forever leading us on with wage slavery and the idea of absolving all debt.

If you don't want any regulation or security go to Russia or go to the middleast. In this country we have a tradition of contributing to the livelihood of our people.

"What right does the US government have to redistribute wealth of its citizens?"

when you realze that the current monetary system is readistibuting money from the poor to the rich through inflation, and has done so ince the 1920s. and they redistribute money through lack of competition and coorperatism.

dont bring the crap about taxing them more to redistribute BACK is immoral.

NOT taxing them more, and letting them keep the stolen fruit of other peoples labour is immoral.

In regard to federal power to redistribute, the federal power is what was given by the states. English common law developed the "rule against perpetuities", which put a limit on how many generations you could limit how people could use or dispose of the property you give them. English common law was passed to the states. So states have the rule against perpetuities. States also have inheritance taxes. States that were part of Mexico have joint property rules. But I don't know of any other powers that states have involving redistribution of property. So, by inference, Federal power (in DC and the teritories) should be no greater than state power in the states.

The rich already pay the majority of the taxes in the country, just some think it's unfair that they are rich and they should pay more, and more, and more. What you'll eventually do is tax the wealthy and large corporations until they flee this country, along with the jobs they create, and find fairer harbors and cheaper labor elsewhere.

Almost half the country doesn't even pay any federal income tax, so these complaints make little sense. It's people like BO that want to see people who have become successful be punished for their success. If he had his way the rich would pay a 60-70% income tax "because they can afford it". A system like that would make people NOT WANT TO MAKE THAT EXTRA EFFORT TO BE SUCCESSFUL. Why put forth the effort when it just means you'll be punished for it? Why try to be better when staying with the status quo gets you plenty of "handouts"?

It's kinda like the No Child Left Behind Act that was a bipartisan brainchild at the beginning of the Bush era. This train of thought is meant to bring up the dumbest and laziest students in the system, but all it really does is get the teachers to concentrate most of their time on those idiots in the lowest 25% instead of celebrating the accomplishments and advances of the top 10%. This BREEDS MEDIOCRITY!!! And mediocrity is exactly what liberals want. They wants us all to be the same. Our brightest should be a little dimmer, and our dimmest should be allowed to shine bright.

Socialism at its best...

Boner Oiler wrote
at 12:36 AM, Monday April 18, 2011 CDT

Forget the constitution...it's bullshit