Jonah Goldberg: Democrats are hypocrites when it comes to paying taxes ( L.A. Times no less! )

Los Angeles Times ^ | February 3, 2009 | Jonah Goldberg

[kellynla]

During the presidential campaign, Joe Biden insisted that paying your taxes is a patriotic duty. No, scratch that. He said that supporting a tax hike was the American thing to do. "It's time to be patriotic," he told America's putative tax slackers. When asked whether he might be questioning the patriotism of people who don't want higher taxes, Biden, as is his wont, took things to the next rhetorical level. Forget patriotism, insisted Joe, paying higher taxes is a religious obligation.

The man who gave an average of $369 a year to charity over the previous decade fulfills his religious obligations by cutting a tax check -- a check he's required to cut by law.

Now it's always perilous to take Biden's statements too seriously, but it does seem eminently fair to say that his comments reflect a common, if not universal, attitude among Democrats. Taxes aren't a "necessary evil" so much as a joyous affirmation of the possibilities of government and the lifeblood of a more hopeful society. "Taxes are what you pay to be an American" -- like "membership fees," says Democratic language guru George Lakoff.

President Obama merely says that taxes are necessary to "spread the wealth," which is better for everybody. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman frames the issue more reasonably: "Nobody likes paying taxes ... [but] most Americans also care a lot about the things taxes pay for." In other words, paying taxes -- and raising taxes in Krugman's view -- is the adult, serious, morally responsible thing to do. Government needs every last penny, and holdouts must be smoked out.

[hellbender]

If you put your tax forms under your pillow (which is appropriate because paying taxes is like pulling teeth), the Stimulus Fairy will leave a gift for you. Maybe your driveway will be paved as part of the massive infrastructure spending. Provided, of course, that you are a registered Demonrat and have contributed faithfully to The Party and its array of PACs, unions, etc.

[Girlene]

Good article. I guess Daschle, Geithner, and Rangel aren’t very patriotic according to Joe.

[Darkwolf377]

I’m pro-life, pro-tax cut, pro-gun rights, and anti-gay marriage, anti-illegal immigration and anti-bailout and I live in Boston, I couldn’t get elected trash collector here! :(

[Badeye]

Biden and I agree.

Those that don’t pay their taxes simply are not ‘patriotic’.

Kinda funny, given liberals have been shrieking since 2001 ‘don’t say we are not Patriotic!’ isn’t it?

Take it up with blowhard Biden, libbies.

[CPT Clay]

What number is your post?

There are 200+ posts to go through.

[kellynla]

don’t know...working here...after the Market closes, I’ll chek & let you know

[truthkeeper]

Not in L.A. either, sad to say.

[MrB]

We can’t underestimate the importance of these tax cheats feeding the image of Limousine Liberals who want YOUR money to spend as THEY please, while escaping the rules THEY set down for wealth redistribution.

Never forget that there is a contingent of liberals that think that this is A-OK for the "ruling class" to live by different rules than the rest of us.

[EdnaMode]

One of my Obama supporting liberal coworkers made a big fuss about having to pay taxes for the first time in her life. She is pissed.

[pepsi_junkie]

Remember, we were told by the media Joe the plumber wasnt qualified to discuss politics in America because he had a tax lien...

[Our man in washington]

Jonah certainly got the libs who commented on that story worked up into a froth, didn’t he?

Indeed. Liberals love to attack Goldberg for not having served in the military. It's a truly moronic argument, and I say that as someone who has served. If these liberals really believed that only veterans should get a say in public affairs, they should be willing to limit the vote to veterans. But if we did that, liberals would be lucky to get elected dog-catcher.

[Wicket]

I love the comments posted with the article. Liberals apparently have very little shame - do as I say, not as I do . . .

[neverdem]

bttt

[GOPJ]

I’m amazed the LA Times would run this - it doesn’t support their love affair with dems...

[GOPJ]

Are we allowed to post from the LA Times?

[Lancey Howard]

The LA Times? I thought that thing died? Isn't that the paper where "news reporters and editors lobby for editorials to be written on certain subjects" and want the "editorial page to coordinate more closely with the newsroom's agenda?"

Well, if that toilet tissue is still kicking, it's obviously in a state of panicky desperation if it publishes anything that strays from America-hating, Democrat socialist orthodoxy. The only good thing to ever come out of the LA Times was Ramirez.