'Tax us more,' US billionaires say

Should billionaires be taxed more? How will they react? Is the involvement of George Soros a complicating factor?

 

They must be socialists

 

I don't think Buffett,Bezos and Gates are socialists???

 

"To die rich is to die disgraced."

-- Andrew Carnage

Many of the super rich have picked up this mantra. That would include Warren Buffet and Bill Gates and many more. Some shed wealth because of an innate sense of alturism, others because they are concerned about their legacy.

 

Maybe in some alternate universe where Marx might have been correct, but in the real world, to die rich is to die leaving your family a bit more than the sorry sad sacks who were left with nothing.

You can die poor, I guess. Don't expect me to pay for your burial. I really don't care enough to bother. As the great Clint Eastwood opined, "buzzards need to eat, same as worms".

 

You will never understand.

 

Neither will every other poor bastard who died or starved under socialism.

For some reason, they just don't get it, I guess...

but you do...

lol!!!!!!!

 

Gotta keep the pitchfork wielding peasants from storming the castle. That’s all it is. Make them think you care, and the pitchforks can go back to more pastoral pursuits than plundering the greedy 1%ers.

 

I remember years ago when we paid more than half of our income in taxes and it didn’t affect my standard of living one bit. Of course I should have paid more in taxes than a person who makes so much less

 

Not all wealthy people are greedy!

 

And obviously you don’t even understand what socialism is. But we do have some socialism that maybe you could relate to like public schools and public library’s and public transportation and cops and firefighters. Let’s privatize them all because the too socialistic (sarcasm alert)

 

I wouldn't mind taxing those on 10M+ more, but tax hikes on "the rich" always smash the **** out of upper middle class, lower wealthy class working professionals who did 7 years of expenaive and difficult study, work 6 days a week, and bring home something in the mid 6 figures range.

This is intolerable to me.

 

Very few highly educated professionals works six days a week.

 

Your point being? Tax them?

All I want is for there to be no massive tax obstacle to getting in the top echelon economically. The already super rich aren't as concerned about a tax on income as they already have tens of billions in wealth.

The doctor with 5 years experience thinking of specialising into surgery? Different story. They likely don't have 30 billion lying in some hedge fund.

Of course, upwards of 80% of income tax receipts already come from the top 10%, so targetting the upper middle class and lower wealthy class is necessary. I think it is time for us to reevaluate our view of tax as a consequence. We think hikes will hit hedge fund managers. This is not how it works.

 

Agreed.

 

It’s usually the pitchfork wielders or their leaders who are the greediest.

 

Or even a full 40 hours in a week.

 

I just knew somebody would chime in with the usual "you don't even understand what socialism is" bit.

Public schools are garbage, libraries are no longer needed now that we have the internet, public transportation is dangerous and crap, cops and all those government employees are garbage.

I'm sure it's never occurred to you that all these wonderful mega rich that claim they want to be taxed are also the reason why the IRS tax code keeps increasing in size by roughly 1% every year. If those rich people wanted to pay more in taxes, they could always donate it directly to the U.S. government. However, that's not what they want to do.

 

They're all vastly superior capitalists than Brokeahontas...

 

Good, then let’s have only private schools, get rid of books, pay for your private cops and firefighters...lol. If you’re whining about the system now imagine if we didn’t have any of these and you had to pay much much more out of your pocket. You would probably be screaming
I am in a top bracket, and more than willing to pay more I taxes. I always laugh that people like you tell me to donate it directly to the US government. That’s like telling anti-choice people to adopt children, I give plenty of money to charities of my choice.

 

But, some wealthy people have actually have said that. One needs to ask the right questions here- look for the motives behind the statement. If I think there is no chance of something actually happening, I can be "for it" and gain the credits for that position, without actually having to do it. It is a political skill that has been practiced for decades- promising things that can't happen, get votes and support for the position, yet not be your fault that they don't actually happen.

I have an alternate proposal, which is to tax the lack of productivity. If you are not producing value but still living in this country with the benefits and protections paid for by others, you are getting a subsidy- sort of a continuous paid vacation for doing nothing. I say the less you do, the more you should owe, because someone else IS carrying your sorry ass.

 

Nothing is stopping them from cutting a check

 

And nothing is stopping anti-choice people from adopting 10 children. Seems silly argument

 

What is anti-choice?

I disagree about adoption...lots of things can stop people from doing that....ie...income.

 

Yes it does sound funny doesn't it. I remember a few years back Buffett complained that his secretary paid a higher percentage then he did in taxes. I found it to be a bit disingenuous of him, after all he is the one that was using every tax loop hole possible. Nobody was forcing him to get paid with stock options, he choose to do it. Then he complains about it. Do people not realize that they are just saying this to make stupid people like them. By some responses here it is working. Personally I think he was doing it to get in Obama's good graces. That worked to the pipeline deal was killed and his railroad still continues to be running at max capacity moving oil.