Wesley Clark claims "this country was founded on a principle of progressive taxation"

The Volokh Conspiracy ^ | 9/16/03 | Eugene Volokh

[Marcus Alonzo Hanna]

[Eugene Volokh, 5:27 PM]
Interesting historical assertion: Words from Wesley Clark, General and now Democratic Presidential candidate, on Meet the Press, June 15, 2003 (emphasis added):

The Bush tax cuts weren't fair. The people that need the money and deserve the money are the people who are paying less, not the people who are paying more. I thought this country was founded on a principle of progressive taxation. In other words, it's not only that the more you make, the more you give, but proportionately more because when you don't have very much money, you need to spend it on the necessities of life.

     Somehow I slept through the class session in American History where they explained just how the country was founded "on a principle of progressive taxation." "No Taxation Without Progressivity," was that the big slogan? (Thanks to Dan Gifford to the pointer; I should also note that columnist Walter Williams also made the same observation shortly after the Clark speech, and I'm sure many others did, too.)

UPDATE: Reader Paul Stinchfield found the full remarks, and passed along the link to me, so I'm passing it along to you.

[Guillermo]

Yes, it was.

It was also founded on Multi-culturalism, Diversity, Tolerance and Political Correctness.

I learned this in public school.

[js1138]

This is the guy who was on live tv and had to make a phone call to hillary (or someone) before answering a question.

[A CA Guy]

Guess he never heard of a certain Boston Tea Party.

[Gritty]

For a guy who graduated from West Point, he sure knows precious little about the Constitution which he swore to protect and defend!

Maybe that's what going to Oxford with bill clinton does to you?

[wideawake]

Did that actually happen?

[LOC1]

This country did not even have an income tax until well into the 20th century, so there was not even a mechanism to consider something like progressive tax rates.

[LOC1]

This country did not even have an income tax until well into the 20th century, so there was not even a mechanism to consider something like progressive tax rates.

[Yeti]

Well, that idea naturally follows from Thomas Jefferson's assertion in his "Penumbras and Addendums: Our Living Constitution" ...

"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."

So, I think General Clark is on pretty solid ground to interpret the document that way.

[blackdog]

And this guy went to West Point? I think not........

IMHO, those spewing this crap know damn well how absurd it is. They also know that the public and it's school system is just too damn stupid and/or lazy to call them on it. Once they get away with it a few times, it becomes accepted fact. Much like the sharks still swimming the slave trade routes to this day searching for slaves tossed overboard, or that petroleum products come from dead dinosaurs, or the flag our astronauts placed on mars, or the "budget cuts" which are not.

[ChadGore]

"Punish achievement, or give me death" ? . . . hmmm sorry

[jla]

Maybe that's what going to Oxford with bill clinton does to you?

And if you're Eileen Wellstone it gets you raped also.

[Semper Paratus]

Now I see why he gets Hillary damp.

[js1138]

Did that actually happen?

I heard it on Rush.

[Verax]

Yes, it's true, there was a "Tea Party" of sorts in Boston back in ...

j/k

[Becki]

I thought this country was founded on a principle of progressive taxation. In other words, it's not only that the more you make, the more you give, but proportionately more because when you don't have very much money, you need to spend it on the necessities of life.

And this is Mr. Brilliant???

Becki

[colorado tanker]

Looks like Waco Wesley has foot-in-mouth disease. This could get real fun.

[wideawake]

Then it probably did - the Clark cultists would have ripped Rush to shreds if he lied about their deity.

[blackdog]

And oh yeah.....The best one!

"Paying taxes is the price one pays for participating in a free society" -Justice Holmes, around the turn of the century.

They love to proudly display that one in government buildings, especially IRS. The only catch is that at the time he made that bold assertion, the tax rate was 3%.........

[Lady Heron]

Wow isn't America great. Anyone can run for president no matter you IQ or how far you got in your history studies.