Don't cut our taxes. (what!??)

[jts]

This is weird.

Quote

 

More than 400 American millionaires and billionaires are sending a letter to Congress this week urging Republican lawmakers not to cut their taxes.

 

More than 400 millionaires tell Congress: Don’t cut our taxes

They like to pay taxes. Maybe it's some kind of honor.

Why force them to do what they want to do?

I have an idea.

Abolish all taxes. Let people voluntarily donate money to the government. As much or as little as they choose. Or nothing. Then it will be hat in hand instead of gun in hand. Give them some kind of certificate or something that they can put on the wall and it proves that they donated to the government and they can show it off and be proud of themselves.

A refinement of the idea of donation to the government. People get to choose which department of government their donation goes to. With this option, government would get more money. But people would have more control of government. If there is an unpopular war happening, cut funding.

 

[anthony]

Yuk, this self-aggrandizing selflessness. Invest your gain back into your business, give it away to charity, anything but public atonement for being rich.

[KorbenDallas]

I wonder how many of the 400 are altruists and want to donate their money to the government so it can waste it.

I wonder how many of the 400 want to keep what they've earned, but under social pressure or scrutiny they want to donate it to keep the altruists off their back.

Neither is too far from what Rand spoke about long ago...

[BaalChatzaf]

14 hours ago, jts said:

This is weird.

More than 400 millionaires tell Congress: Don’t cut our taxes

They like to pay taxes. Maybe it's some kind of honor.

Why force them to do what they want to do?

I have an idea.

Abolish all taxes. Let people voluntarily donate money to the government. As much or as little as they choose. Or nothing. Then it will be hat in hand instead of gun in hand. Give them some kind of certificate or something that they can put on the wall and it proves that they donated to the government and they can show it off and be proud of themselves.

A refinement of the idea of donation to the government. People get to choose which department of government their donation goes to. With this option, government would get more money. But people would have more control of government. If there is an unpopular war happening, cut funding.

 

These money-bags can afford the taxes. Why?  Because they are getting back far more in preferential treatment  than their taxes cost them.  They are perfectly happy to have the Middle Class taxed unto the limit of their means  to provide the funds  which subsidized them (the rich guys).  What are these people?  I don't quite know, but they seem to live on subsidies and preferential treatment under the law.  And that includes  you, Elon Musk!

[anthony]

11 hours ago, KorbenDallas said:

I wonder how many of the 400 are altruists and want to donate their money to the government so it can waste it.

I wonder how many of the 400 want to keep what they've earned, but under social pressure or scrutiny they want to donate it to keep the altruists off their back.

Neither is too far from what Rand spoke about long ago...

Yes, the psychological social pressure can achieve more than what a government can dream of, guilting some into "giving back"/"paying forward". I'll trade ten Greg's, small business owners who appreciate capitalism, pride in their work and profits, and independence, for these 400 grandstanding quasi 'capitalists'. Soros in there too... It looks to be also a holier than thou ploy to shame the president. Heh. Yeah!

[9thdoctor]

These people are all free to walk their talk.  They are allowed to pay more, and can even make a spectacle of themselves doing it.  They can publish their tax returns, showing that they paid more than the normal calculation calls for.  And publish the alternate calculation side by side. 

This is faux virtue signaling. 

Imagine a medieval monk who felt his monastic order didn't enforce a strict enough rule anymore.  There were plenty of these back then.  But rather than starting his own order (like St. Francis) he called for reform, and specifically: imposition of more fasts.  But he didn't actually observe the fasts; he would only start once everyone else had it imposed on them too.  That's what these big-mouths are like.  And they want people to think they're worthy of sainthood. 

[anthony]

13 hours ago, 9thdoctor said:

These people are all free to walk their talk.  They are allowed to pay more, and can even make a spectacle of themselves doing it.  They can publish their tax returns, showing that they paid more than the normal calculation calls for.  And publish the alternate calculation side by side. 

This is faux virtue signaling. 

Imagine a medieval monk who felt his monastic order didn't enforce a strict enough rule anymore.  There were plenty of these back then.  But rather than starting his own order (like St. Francis) he called for reform, and specifically: imposition of more fasts.  But he didn't actually observe the fasts; he would only start once everyone else had it imposed on them too.  That's what these big-mouths are like.  And they want people to think they're worthy of sainthood. 

That's a reasonable appraisal. The ("faux") virtue these saints display is pretty empty if not clearly advertised to all others, based in others' regard, and so we have another aspect of 'otherism'. Over here, we seem to be increasingly smothered by public sainthood so I can get touchy on the subject! Your mileage could differ, but what I often like about many Christians is that they don't need as much to be "seen" - by other people  -  for them, their virtues are quietly and privately "seen" by *you know who*. Secular-altruists who can only 'signal' other people have to clamor for attention. And sure, they are "free to walk their talk". Most people will secretly find them silly.

[9thdoctor]

59 minutes ago, anthony said:

Your mileage could differ, but what I often like about many Christians is that they don't need as much to be "seen" - by other people  -  for them, their virtues are quietly and privately "seen" by *you know who*.

Indeed, Thomas Becket (for example) wore a hair shirt under his vestments.  This only became known after his murder.  He walked his talk. 

If these people (making this protest) want to quietly pay more taxes, they're free to do that too.  But this exercise is all about getting attention in order to score political points, so we all know that's a non-starter.