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BTW I wish all these rich guys like Buffet (and Obama) would actually put their money where their mouth is and pay the difference in taxes between pre and post Bush tax cut rates.
I think he has already put his money where his mouth is:
"SEATTLE -- Forty wealthy families and individuals have joined Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and billionaire investor Warren Buffett in a pledge to give at least half their wealth to charity."
No one wants the rich "punished", we socialists (most of us non-Marxist) want the basics of life for everyone. Necessities are more important than luxuries by definition, right? Food, potable water, basic medical care, some basic shelter. You could give up 10% of your butlers and 25% of your private aircraft for that, couldn't you? Especially those of you who don't work, which is most of the wealthy. Sitting around sipping coffee and munching pastries at a board meeting while letting your legal toadies do the thinking for you, is NOT work, and it is especially not worth a million times more than what an honest worker makes.
Robert Heinlein, in "Time Enough for Love," 1973: "Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded--here and there, now and then--are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
I think he has already put his money where his mouth is:
"SEATTLE -- Forty wealthy families and individuals have joined Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and billionaire investor Warren Buffett in a pledge to give at least half their wealth to charity."
Giving to charity is a noble thing, however the focus of Buffett's diatribe was concerning taxes to the govt.
Makes you wonder if they don't consider the govt to be as effective a steward of their donated money so they chose private charities.
Perhaps their action of giving money to private charities rather than the govt merely echoes the general public's distrust in the govt's ability to effectively manage tax money in a responsible manner?
Location: where you sip the tea of the breasts of the spinsters of Utica
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Yes, Heinlein was a great story-teller. I don't agree with his opinion - almost all of the world's greatest economies are highly socialized (in addition to be capitalistic in a regulated way). All first-world industrialized nations have some kind of universal healthcare system, except for the US - and we could have that too if we didn't feel so compelled to throw so much our money at needless overseas wars.
We should be past the era of unregulated predatory capitalism now, not looking to return to it.
If you look at any of several lists of happiest nations, healthiest nations, wealthiest nations, etc the top 10 or so are invariably progressive in politics, and fairly heavily taxed so that everyone gets a decent pension and national health care. And speak of the devil, here's a list from Forbes/Gallup: Table: The World's Happiest Countries - Forbes.com
Notice that the top libertarian stronghold, Somalia, which is probably the nation Heinlein would most have approved of, didn't place very highly.
... almost all of the world's greatest economies are highly socialized (in addition to be capitalistic in a regulated way). All first-world industrialized nations have some kind of universal healthcare system ...
Apparently, you haven't been following financial developments in socialist Europe, huh?
Every one of these socialist paradises is facing severe budgetary cut-backs and the folks who enjoyed living off of others confiscated wealth do not like to have their subsidized goodies reduced.
All first-world industrialized nations have some kind of universal healthcare system, except for the US - and we could have that too if we didn't feel so compelled to throw so much our money at needless overseas wars.
And the dirty secret about those universal healthcare systems is that people who can afford it buy extra insurance so they don't have to go to it. This makes the insurers happy as they don't have to deal with the poor, who usually are in poorer health. Next.
Giving to charity is a noble thing, however the focus of Buffett's diatribe was concerning taxes to the govt.
Makes you wonder if they don't consider the govt to be as effective a steward of their donated money so they chose private charities.
Perhaps their action of giving money to private charities rather than the govt merely echoes the general public's distrust in the govt's ability to effectively manage tax money in a responsible manner?
Warren Buffett is one of the most wealthy individuals in the world, his issue is the fairness of the existing system, I don't think the fact that he follows the present tax code lessens his message, the people at the very top of the system can tolerate an increase in taxes as they did 10 years ago. He is essentially asking the government to increase his taxes, whyis that an issue?
Giving money to charity is different than donating to reduce the deficit.
The Massapequa rocket scientist has come to the rescue. And listen here boy we all know you're from a recessed area with plenty of animosity towards successful white collar workers so perhaps you should sit this one out.
Okay, tough guy.
You're out of your league here, again...First taxes, now talking about people and areas you know nothing about to go OT and avoid embarrassment.
Recessed? New homes are pulling in close to $1M in my part of town. You need to get out of Shirley more often .
The fact is you can't dispute my post because it's reality.
Who exactly is being penalized here when $10M+ earners pay an average 18% tax rate?
Half the NFL wouldn't be affected by Buffett's proposal. How many successful white collar workers do you know making over $1M a year?? Please.
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more often .
