Biden Urges Wealthy to be Patriotic, Pay More Taxes
By Alan Stewart Carl | Related entries in 2008 Election, Barack, Biden, Economy, TaxesThis morning on Good Morning America, Joe Biden said that it’s time for wealthy Americans â€to be patriotic†and pay higher taxes. I was unaware that giving money to the government was a patriotic act. Maybe instead of dreading April 15th, I should hold a barbeque and set off fireworks.
Of course, under the proposed Barack Obama and Biden tax plan, my family would be one of the large majority of American families receiving a tax cut. Which means what Biden is really saying is: it’s the patriotic duty of my rich neighbors to transfer some of their wealth to me. I always thought it was rather un-American of them to be driving a Lexus while I have merely a Toyota.
I have a lot of problems with the way Biden is framing the issue. If Obama/Biden want to argue that the fundamental health of our economy is dependent on raising taxes and that the least harmful place to obtain those taxes is from the wealthy, then I’d sit back and let them argue their point. But framing taxes as a matter of patriotism is divisive. The statement implies that successful Americans are not very American while the rest of us are more patriotic just by virtue of being less affluent.
Patriotism has nothing to do with income just like it has nothing to do with party affiliation, race, religion, national origin or any number of other ways you can divide up Americans. When it comes to tax policy, the only thing that matters is economic impact. The rest is just demagoguery.
This entry was posted on Thursday, September 18th, 2008 and is filed under 2008 Election, Barack, Biden, Economy, Taxes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
September 18th, 2008 at 8:21 am
I guess I haven’t been patriotic enough by having 72% of my money go to pay for those who refuse to work….hmmmmmm
34% – goes to federal income tax
8% – goes to state income tax
8% – goes to local sales tax
22% – goes to the embedded tax found in all products I buy (22% corporate tax that is passed to me)
For those of you in Rio Linda – That adds up to 72%
Thanks for making the nation more communist.
September 18th, 2008 at 8:32 am
I agree with you 100 percent; Biden’s ham-handed patriotic plea was almost as pathetic as the GOP smears of anyone who was against the war in Iraq being unpatriotic.
What Biden should have said was something along the lines of: “The wealthy have had a ridiculous degree of influence over the GOP and the Reagan Bushes and yes, the Clinton administration policies for the past 30 years and it simply doesn’t work. The greed of the wealthy has had a detrimental effect on the economy and nation as a whole as evidenced by the collapse of the financial system and the shrinking middle class. It is time for the wealthy to pay their fair share for all the benefits they receive by being part of this great nation, rather than sucking at the teat of the majority of the population until they are dry. If we temper our greed, we can all benefit in the long run instead of a relative few wealthy people benefitting in the short run.
That’s what he should have said.
September 18th, 2008 at 8:54 am
I’d be careful about declaring that “my family would be one to receive a tax cut.” Remember that this is after the Bush tax cuts “expire.” So your taxes are going to go up, then go down. What will be the net reduction? It’s like a furniture store marking up a couch 100% then advertising a whopping 30% discount. There’s a ton of sophistry and semantics going on, on both sides, which is sad.
September 18th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Here’s all you gotta do:
1) Print off your copy of form 1040-V
2) Take it to the nearest jeweler of your choice
3) Have the jeweler create a small, enameled lapel pin of IRS Form 1040-V
4) Affix the pin to your jacket, shirt, or blouse, and wear it with pride!
Now, that’s a real American!!
Agnostick
[email protected]
http://www.irs.gov
September 18th, 2008 at 9:22 am
If Biden wants the wealthy to contribute more taxes, he might want to consider reducing their tax rates. After all, our government received record-breaking tax revenue from the wealthiest of Americans after their tax rates were cut in 2003.
Then again, I doubt that Obama ever read a book on free-market capitalism that wasn’t a critique of it. He openly supports raising capital gains taxes even if it reduces total income from that tax. Thats sort of like forcing the rich to give up their money, and then burning it.
At least we know where the democrats stand on taxation. They believe the purpose of the government is to threaten wealth producers with incarceration in order to force them to give up their money to a Bolshevik wealth-redistribution scheme. In Europe they would be called the “Liberal Socialist Party.”
September 18th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Well I believe Biden is right – its just that he used the wrong word. Patriotic probably wasn’t the best choice; however I believe that the root he was getting at was “making a sacrifice for the greater good” kind of idea.
We as Americans have NOT been asked to make any sort of sacrifices for the war, or for the economy on the whole…
I’ll come back with more later.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Government redistribution of wealth is Government Sanctioned theft. Democrats need to make the distinction between just and unjust inequalities where taxes are concerned. For example college grads earn higher income than high school dropouts. Some people prefer to work more hours and earn more than those who prefer to work fewer. Kids who spend 15 or more hours a week on homework earn higher grades than those who don’t. These are JUST inequalities. Most economists agree that income is closely related to productivity. I have no problem if they want to tax incomes that were gained from unjust inequalities such as fraud, corruption, oppression etc. I would love to be at a Democratic event and speak on this. I’m a prime example of the just inequality. I worked 2 jobs after my divorce to pay for school etc. I ate tuna and oodles of noodles at almost every meal. I worked long and hard to get where I am. I am not going to pay for those who don’t.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:23 am
I don’t know… I feel that the only requirement of “being patriotic” is complying with the laws of your national government. It’s really just herd instinct in disguise. Do what is right, because everyone says it is so…
Even if laws are oppressive and Nazi-like, if you are doing what your country asks of you – - then you are by definition patriotic. Sure, Hitler was probably one of the worst humans to ever walk this planet, but his followers were nothing short of patriotic Germans for the time frame, because he defined patriotism in Germany as such.
And if your country demands that you to pay more taxes, and if that is equated with patriotism… then if you want to be patriotic – - you ought to pay more taxes.
Of course I don’t consider myself a patriot. I think pride in a country is foolish, since it causes people to define themselves not as individuals, but as nationals. That’s unfortunate. Be thankful for where you live, not proud of it.
Oh yeah, Joe Biden is a pimp. Nuff said.
September 19th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Some people prefer to work more hours and earn more than those who prefer to work fewer. Kids who spend 15 or more hours a week on homework earn higher grades than those who don’t. These are JUST inequalities. Most economists agree that income is closely related to productivity. I have no problem if they want to tax incomes that were gained from unjust inequalities such as fraud, corruption, oppression etc. I would love to be at a Democratic event and speak on this.
September 21st, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Biden Urges Wealthy To Be Patriotic, Pay More Taxe…
Alan Stewart Carl, a moderate blogger, writes: “This morning on Good Morning America, Joe Biden said that it?s time for wealthy Americans ‘to be patriotic’ and pay higher taxes. I was unaware that giving money to the government was a patriotic act….