Obama's New Attack on Those Who Don't Want Higher Taxes: ‘Selfishness’

The truth is, we've been redistributing wealth for a while. We pay subsidies to farmers, we bailout large industry, we 'no bid' contracts.

Does it make sense to redistribute wealth from the shrinking middle class to industry? It's basically the difference between supply-side and "demand-side" economics. There might be a place for supply-side economics. When you have a middle-class endangered, though, it's time for some demand-side economics. Tax cuts for the middle-class are important, and changing the tax code is only 'redistribution' if every other tax cut and loophole is also redistribution.

This is a red-herring, and people are reeling it in.

So why isn't it selfish that people who don't work as hard as I work, get to take what I earn?

Obama wants us to all be equal in outcome, but not equal in effort.

It's this simple folks:

You make a dollar. You "give" a portion to the government.

How much of that "gift" do you get back to make your business or family better?

You don't make a dollar. The government "gives" you a dollar.

How much of that "gift" did you earn? And how much of it will make your ? business ? of family better?

Touchy feely 1960's stuff aside: Make or die.

If we are going to succeed as a nation, we need strong people. And we should reward that effort. If such effort falls on their kids, so be it. Their parents certainly earned the right.

But for an Obama-type "redistribution?"

The Soviets tried that too.

That's why we now call them the Russians.

- Alexander Victor Wolf
New York City

THE TERM "HARD EARNED INCOME" IS WHERE WE PART COMPANY.
LESS THAN 10% OF THIS COUNTRY OWN OVER 90% OF THE WEALTH.
MUCH OF THIS WEALTH IS NO EARN BY WORKING BUT BY CLIPPING COUPONS FROM THEIR INHERITED WEALTH. THE WEALTHY HELPED OUT AFTER WW2 WHY NOT NOW? DO WE REALLY NEED AN ARISTOCRACY?

Obama joked that maybe he was being called a socialist because he shared his pb&j sandwich.

No, Mr. Obama. What would be socialistic is if you took a friends pb&j sandwich and gave it to someone else who decided he'd rather spend his money on arcade games instead of food.

The danger about you Mr. Obama is that you are either an ignorant rube (something I highly doubt) or a conniving, flim-flam man who won't play it straight with us.

Take your pick.

Oh - and the real danger about you isn't you, Sir. It is your minions who go attacking people without you saying a word! It's like being bitten by someone's attack dog with the owner mumbling, "Down Shemp" with no heart in it.

I'm betting that if you become the President, I'm going to be forced to have your portrait in my living room (or on my interactive TV, where your minions can watch whether I am being politically correct). Will you be like Chairman Mao? Time will tell. Time will tell.

dm92,

No, i was reminding an intellectual that was putting down a disabled veteran that if you haven't been there don't judge.

Who is John Galt? While Ayn Rand's philosophy of objectivism captured many minds during the early 60's, the world has changed considerably since then. Obama is correct when he says it's OK for the upper income wage earners to pay a little more in taxes. And many of these people agree and support him, infact polls indicate a majority agree. Polarization of the classes has never been a hall mark of a successful society. And that is exactly where this country has been headed since Reagans trickle down philophy took hold of the Republican parties economic policies. It is time to be a little more civil, not just to your neighbors, but to all citizens of the world. That is the only way for America to become great again.

Yes, our tax system is already redistributive and we have a lot of problems. But that is not a good reason to vote for someone who will be even worse than the last president, someone who will make the tax system even more redistributive, a tax system that will encourage greed and selfishness rather than use that greed and selfishness to benefit others, a tax system that will move all the wealth to the government elite, giving the few the power to oppress all those who voted for change and those that didn’t.

Open your eyes and minds America, before it is too late. History shows this over and over. Ask the oppressed around the world, they will tell you. The stories of those silenced and killed by tyranny, despotism and hatred. You are still a great nation, don’t throw it all away.

It is not a good reason to vote for a party whose congressional leaders are even more selfish, corrupt and greedy than the republicans could ever dream to be. Most democrats in America today have no representation in government, at least not with the current leaders of the democrat party. Not all congressional democrats are this way but a large and growing number are. Corruption by anyone in government should not be tolerated. Major reform throughout all government is needed. McCain/Palin

Yo BoneSmokey..

Please reference for me the section in the United States Constitution where it guarantees "success", or "national healthcare", or "distributing the wealth"?

What America offers is "the pursuit of happiness" - by creating an environment that gets the government out of our way; that keeps the government from interfering with those who are willing to do what it takes to be successful. Yes, of course there will always be small numbers of people who, for reasons of poor health, etc., will need Medicare and other government programs. But we don't need to do that for everyone! THAT is socialism.

This country was built by people who want to work, and understand that to be successful, it's going to take enormous effort, not a handout. Success does not arrive because a bloated Federal bureaucracy says it will or provides it for you by taking money from one citizen and giving it to another.

THAT is Socialism, and that is what Obama is preaching. And if you support him then you obviously are also a Socialist. Go ahead, you can admit it. Now take another hit from your bong and get over it.

Good luck with all of that.

"Jim receives a pension because he was disabled while protecting your freedoms. So why bash on the man. Have you ever worn a uniform? No, i don't think so. If you did you would hold your freedoms near and dear. By the way the first people communist execute after taking power is intellectual and teachers. digest that for a while."
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Was your comment supposed to be in supsport of people who are not intellectual or teach? The intellectuals are killed for the same reason black slaves were not allowed to read - it is harder to bamboozle and bs someone with a more worldly, informed view. I hope you're not taking that as a compliment.

dm92

Drop your worries about socialism, Bush put you deep into it and all the money is going the wrong direction.Now spending to creat jobs is needed so people can have money to spend on products manufactured here. No oney in many hands? No purchases, it's not rocket science, brownshirts.

If a farmer with a million acres thinks they can spend as much on fertilizer as a farmer with ten acres, guess what?? NO CROPS!!! To keep it going, every one needs to put back according to what is taken out. Only the selfish, greedy, or out and out idiot can't see where this makes sense.

Most of you don't know what the heck your tax bracket is right now, and you let some fool who knows what you do pay tell you that something is wrong and you cry with out a reason?

You idiots have been getting charged a graduated tax fee since you were born and didn't know it. Now someone comes along and tells you that the graduated part has been benfiting the richer more than the poorer, your pockets are empty and you don't believe the guy? You would rather believe the guy who says all is rosy and your pockets will fill up as soon as the dam at the top over flows and trickle down starts? Damndest bunch of Ma and Pa Kettles I ever did see. LOL You are funny though, I'll just figure how to rip you off like the neo-cons are and get you to thank me for lightening your pockets.

What's all the "selfish" bs about. What the hell? Is Obama suposed to move everyone of his relatives that makes less then him, into his home, because of his success. I'm not sticking up for him as much as I am wondering why selfishness became the topic to argue back and forth about. I'm selfish....we all are...no one is excluded. If you say you aren't....then you're a selfish liar. Just sitting here reading and posting is being selfish.

PDSimic – Reagan dropped the top rate from 70% to 28% not 50%. Yes, let’s look at the economy under Reagan. It was pretty good and the top tax rate was 28%. Raising it to 39% will do what? Make it more “fair”?
Obama’s tax plan may not be Socialism but it is redistributing wealth since 40% of wage earners pay no income tax. How can you cut nothing? Calling it wealth redistribution is fair and honest. Calling it a “tax cut” is dishonest.

What Obama fails to understand is that the economy of the 1990's was a result of the efforts of investors and software engineers and nothing the government did. I will give Clnton credit for not screwing it up as it unfolded before him.

Jim – thank you for your service and thank you for your post. You are NOT a poster child for Socialism. You are an example of what the government should be doing to take care of people that have worked and paid their dues (in social security and service).
nanakaye - “Wealthy Americans are taxed at a lower rate than the middle and lower class.” Say what? What numbers do you have that support that? Even with payroll taxes, how do you figure that? 39.89% of wage earners pay NO income tax, only payroll of 7.65%. I’m sure there are plenty of “Wealthy Americans” that would like to pay that tax rate. Now, as for tax burden, did you know that in 2006 the top 1% paid 40% of the income tax burden? The top 25% pay 86% leaving the bottom 75% to pay 14% of the tax burden, of which the bottom 50% pay only 3% of the income taxes. Who’s taxed at a lower rate? It’s definitely those rich people. Let’s tax them more. Maybe you would be okay with the top 25% paying 100% of the tax burden? Would that be fair? Or should the top 10% pay all of it? By the way, when Bush took office those evil rich people, the top 1%, paid 33.71% of the income tax burden. Under his evil watch those nasty rich people got a big break because they now pay 39.89%. Damn that Bush.
I’m sorry for the dripping sarcasm but your statement is outrageous. So is all of this class warfare that Obama is playing. What’s sad is that people are buying it and not looking into the facts. Bush’s tax cuts helped everyone. Google “ten myths about the bush tax cuts” and read the Heritage Foundation’s article.

Greg: Any tax system is redistribution. During Regan years the tax bracket was 50%. During Clinton, 39.6%. During Bush, 35%. Look at the economy and prosperity in these three periods. It is safe to say that today, at the end of the 8 years of Bush in office and 35% tax rate, we all are much worst off then we where under both, Clinton and Regan. So it is dishonest and unfair to call Obama socialist for wanting to let Bush tax cut for rich expire, and for wanting to lower the taxes on 95% of the Americans. He is proposing tax cut for the middle class, period. That much is clear and should be acknowledged. Just a common decency.

I agree with Obama. Personally, I feel America is very selfish! American is broke, the banks corrupt and the American people just want free money.

I have a question for you, did you serve in the military? If not, then you do not deserve tax breaks! Time for you take make a sacrifice for your country. So little it asked of you!

I served my country so you can feel free! I served my country so you can take advantage of all the freedoms so many of my friends died for, all while you sat home, and helped break America but supporting bad government spending, taking out loans when you could not afford them, applying for every credit card you could so you did not have to spend you on hand cash. Well, it is time for Americans to pay up, especially those who make over $250,000. Most of these people do not pay taxes anyway due to fancy write offs each year!

It is funny however that the soldiers fighting for your freedoms are willing to take higher taxes for help the country they love. They make very little, yet are willing to give even more to America so you can sit comfortable, fat and greedy!

America has become the home of the “give me, give me, give me”.

Look at your parents during WW II, they helped this country in a time of need without question.

Damn this MTV, GOP and “ME” generation. I feel it is time for the mandatory military service! I am ashamed of the selfishness of the American people! I served my country, I am disabled because of my service, I am a patriot and I will pay higher taxes to help rebuild this country.

There's alot of talk here about Obama wanting to send this country into a socialist state.
On his web site he says will tax those who have more than others in order to spread the wealth.
He and his Bubba Joe B. will have everyone from 18 years old on to serve in the military for two years. They call some of it community service,HMMM.
These two are so paranoid of their new policies that they are going to institute a National Police Force. This will ensure who's safety? Didn't Hitler do that?
They want to provide all our soldiers with the equipment they need in the field to do their jobs. That won't cost us much once they reduce the military down to nothing like Clinton did. Maybe they can become the NPF.
Obama wants to disarm our country to a level that his Muslim bretheren won't feel threatened. I'm wondering, IN WHAT COUNTRY! He must be talking about this one because we can always NUKE the rest of them.
Hey all you State Governors, Legislators, and Law enforcement types, what is going to be your response when the boys from Washington have you go out and try to confiscate our means of self protection. Are you going to roll over or are you going to uphold your sworn oath. You know, the one that you and I all took, that "I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against ALL enemies both foreign and domestic".
Think about it!

PDSimic:
"Yet, they never learn, and so a guy who is determined to give them a tax break is called names and branded a "socialist"

This guy wants to give NOMINAL tax breaks, but the net effect=redistribution, like in the European Union. Do you like the economic system in highly socialized EU countries? Before you answer, better go there and COMPARE THE PRICES OF GOODS AND SERVICES.

So what, that my taxes are seemingly "lowered" if I can afford less, because the less efficient economy and indirect taxation raises the cost of necessities? No, thank you very much, Mr. Obama. I lived in EU, and I got fed up. The ridiculed "trickle down" system distributes wealth. Redistribution distributes poverty only.

Some of the conversations on this post are just stupid. All of this about some damn taxes, please. Jake get a job!