Richest Americans Think Their Taxes Are Unfair

No. "TAKE" is EXACTLY what YOU want to do, by force of law, from those who have what you want. Your sole justification is that they have more stuff than you. Not exactly moral high ground, but it makes for a great Robin Hood movie if you cast all wealthy people as villains.

A person who willingly gives up their dollars in a free market only does so because they know they are acquiring something of greater value to themselves than the dollars were. They are not being robbed, and generally do not even begrudge the profit obtained by the seller, because they understand that what they have received is still of greater value to them than what they gave, else they wouldn't have given the seller their price. So there is no "taking" when someone profits from a voluntary exchange between willing parties. When they repeatedly provide a product or service at a price which is a "good deal", then they can become wealthy, earning a little profit from a lot of such mutually voluntary transactions. But what transpires is a lengthy sequence of willing exchanges, not a "taking".

Obviously there are criminals, both rich and poor. They should be held accountable to just laws, whether rich or poor. But being wealthy does not in itself make one a criminal, and neither does being poor. Do you believe these basic truths? If so, then how can you condemn an entire class of people just because they have accumulated more wealth than you? Or less? I would say a better definition of "criminal" is someone who practices or preaches the "taking" of what rightfully belongs to someone else. Someone who believes such robbery is justified simply because they have less than others, but wants to make the government do the "taking" for them, is a socialist. Such people turn their countries into Soviet Unions, Cubas, and North Koreas.

ttnewton of AK 2:44AM April 27, 2011