Why punish the rich for good choices?

Minneapolis Star Tribune ^ | 12/3/05 | Gregg J. Cavanagh

[rhema]

After reading the Socialist claptrap "Wondering if tax ride goes too easy on rich" (Nov. 20), I was left wondering if I should cancel my subscription to the Star Tribune. I decided to write a rejoinder instead.

Those in favor of soaking the rich cite "ability to pay" as if it were some immutable characteristic, like race or eye color. After all, if someone was lucky enough to be born with more "ability to pay," why shouldn't he or she share with the rest of us poor schlubs who were born without that attribute?

This attitude is fostered by the media's fixation upon the so-called "idle rich" -- those who acquired their wealth through the fortuity of birth. While I question society's claim on the assets of even those people, I can at least understand a philosophy that favors some redistribution of wealth to ameliorate the effects of truly random events.

But for most wealthy people (a class to which I do not belong), their "ability to pay" is the direct result of choices they made throughout their lives. They invested years in getting an education while others settled for entry-level jobs straight out of high school. They worked nights and weekends while others were enjoying happy hour or spending time on the golf course. They saved their earnings while others were buying new cars or big screen TVs or stereos. They invested their savings in start-up businesses or inventions or property or stocks. They steered clear of the temptations of alcohol, drugs, gambling and crime.

Could someone please articulate for me the moral principle that dictates that persons who study harder, work harder, relax less, save more, spend less and invest more should be compelled by government to give their earnings to persons who do precisely the opposite?

[SDGOP]

I wonder how long till democrats propose a 'wealth tax' where they tax a ceartain % of your bank account/stocks.

[ladyjane]

If you look at peoplee who won large lottery jackpots you'll find an answer. People who had nothing when they won don't have much 5 or 10 years later. Many winners tend to blow through their winnings quickly.

[Pukin Dog]

When I see immigrants come to America with nothing in their pockets and unable to speak English turn out children who are at the top of their classes in practically every high school or college in San Diego county, it is hard for me to make excuses for the young or the stupid.

I maintain that any hard working, smart and determined American with decent parents can make it rich in the U.S. Parents don't have to pass along money, if they can manage to pass along a work ethic.

[TaxRelief]

The Little Red Hen

Once upon a time, on a farm in Indiana, there was a little red hen who
scratched about the barnyard until she uncovered quite a few grains of
wheat. She called all of her neighbors together and said, "If we plant
this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?"

"Not I," said the cow.

"Not I," said the duck.

"Not I," said the pig.

"Not I," said the goose.

"Then I will do it by myself," said the little red hen. And so she did;

The wheat grew very tall and ripened into golden grain. "Who will help
me reap my wheat?" asked the little red hen.

"Not I," said the duck.

"Out of my classification," said the pig.

"I'd lose my seniority," said the cow.

"I'd lose my unemployment compensation," said the goose.

"Then I will do it by myself," said the little red hen, and so she did.

At last it came time to bake the bread.

"Who will help me bake the bread?" asked the little red hen.

"That would be overtime for me," said the cow.

"I'd lose my welfare benefits," said the duck.

"I'm a dropout and never learned how," said the pig.

"If I'm to be the only helper, that's discrimination," said the goose.

"Then I will do it by myself," said the little red hen. She baked five loaves and held them up for all of her neighbors to see. They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little red hen said, "No, I shall eat all five loaves."

"Excess profits!" cried the cow.

"Capitalist leech!" screamed the duck.

"I demand equal rights!" yelled the goose.

The pig just grunted in disdain.

And they all painted "Unfair!" picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.

Then a government agent came, he said to the little red hen, "You must not be so greedy."

"But I earned the bread," said the little red hen.

"Exactly," said the agent. "That is what makes our free enterprise
system so wonderful. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive workers must divide the fruits of their labor with those who are lazy and idle."

And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, "I am grateful, for now I truly understand."

But her neighbors became quite disappointed in her. She never again baked bread because she joined the "party" and got her bread free.

And all the social democrats smiled. 'Fairness' had been established.
Individual initiative had died, but nobody noticed; perhaps no one cared.....
as long as there was free bread that "the rich" were paying for.

[Explorer89]

Geez, I could have saved 4 weeks of my life reading "Atlas Shrugged", and just read this letter to the editor......

[brytlea]

Yup, in my husband's line of work, he saw alot of that.
susie

[Racehorse]

Who, exactly are "the rich"? It is a meaningless expression.

Not really.

Once upon a time I could have ventured a near-to-certain answer.  Maybe someone with some up-to-date insights might venture one.  Or, perhaps, they might recommend something to read, something equivalent to Ferdinand Lundberg's classic attack, The Rich and The Super Rich.

Nearly a thousand pages of text, footnotes and tables, Lundberg peppered his attack with such gems as the claim that the only difference between the Soviet Union and the United States was that Americans enjoyed a longer civil leash.  In short, he regarded America as one large plantation.

Wonder who took Lundberg's place or Thorstein Veblen's?

[LostInBayport]

Could someone please articulate for me the moral principle that dictates that persons who study harder, work harder, relax less, save more, spend less and invest more should be compelled by government to give their earnings to persons who do precisely the opposite?

Because your studying, working and saving harder, combined with your honest self-discipline, makes those self-absorbed socialists who slept, lazed and spent harder feel baaaaad. How dare you make them feel like the losers that they are? As your penalty, you must support them financially.

I would add a sarcasm tag, but this is truly how these people feel. I know people like this. They have a great deal of jealousy and self-loathing.

[mvpel]

Ayn Rand asked these very questions nearly 50 years ago in Atlas Shrugged. If the author hasn't read that book yet, he should.

[mvpel]

If you look at peoplee who won large lottery jackpots you'll find an answer. People who had nothing when they won don't have much 5 or 10 years later. Many winners tend to blow through their winnings quickly.

It's been said that poverty is a state of mind, not a financial circumstance; and such people, including LAPD-lotto winner Rodney King, are a perfect example of this fact.

[King Prout]

I maintain that any hard working, smart and determined American with decent parents can make it rich in the U.S.

I agree.

However, there are plenty of kids born in conditions lacking one or more of the elements listed above. Some can overcome, others are... ah... "screwn from birth"

Though I pity such people, and do what I can with my own time and resources to try help them help themselves, I do not believe it is the role of the state to redistribute wealth at gunpoint in order to tackle the problem - even if such government efforts did NOT have such a dismal 100+ year track record.

[Racehorse]

It's been said that poverty is a state of mind, not a financial circumstance . . .

Probably said by someone living in a convent, secluded in a monastery, or spoken insanely by an ascetic wandering about in the forests of India.  :-)

[Dan Evans]

according to leftism: ... Nobody gets rich honestly. Therefore, people who are rich must pay. Yes, this includes rich leftists.

Especially rich leftists. The reason they think you can't get rich honestly is because they didn't get rich honestly so they think all rich people are like them.

[Dan Evans]

However, I agree that hard work in school and in life is the ticket.

Do you suppose Bill Gates would be making more money if he hadn't dropped out of college?

[Dawsonville_Doc]

"I maintain that any hard working, smart and determined American with decent parents can make it rich in the U.S.

I agree."

Ok, so where did you and I go wrong, since we're both hard working, quite intelligent, quite determined, and have decent backgrounds? Neither of us are even close to rich, at mid-30s.
Dude, sometimes luck plays a part.

[JasonC]

"Could someone please articulate for me the moral principle that dictates that persons who study harder, work harder, relax less, save more, spend less and invest more should be compelled by government to give their earnings to persons who do precisely the opposite?"

Sure that's easy. There aren't as many of them. Next.

[Gordongekko909]

I think that with his intelligence and initiative, Gates would be rich almost no matter what.

[King Prout]

both of us made stupid/costly mistakes.
me more than you.
and we are still quite young.
all we can do now is be patient, and learn from the errors, and strive to do better.

[adam_az]

"Yes, but then you have pieces of work like Terrazya Hienz who pay 11 percent tax rate and zero SS/Medicare."

That's because she is heavily invested in tax free municipal bonds which are totally legal. I don't have anything against her for that! Plenty of other stuff, yes, but not that.

[SpitfyrAce]

Your honesty and soul searching lead me to believe you will do quite well in this life. I'm not that smart, was born to a secretary and Army major and have made my own share of mistakes. I made it a point to work harder than people around me, get more education than them and surround myself with smart, hard-working people. I just turned 40 and feel like I'm doing well. Sure, timing and some luck plays a part, but if you don't work hard and play smart you will NEVER be in position to benefit.