"If everything over £150,000 is taxed at 95%, said taxee will still be very, VERY well off thank you very much. Nobody needs that much money, and nobody deserves it either."
I had this discussion with someone. How much should a person be allowed to have? Or perhaps better asked how much of my labor do I get to keep?
I cannot imagine with any amount of thought, that I or anyone else has the ability to comprehend or understand what is a "fair" amount of a person's labor that they should be able to keep? I cannot put forth a decree or edict that clearly defines what a human should be able to accomplish and keep of their own devices. And I certainly understand that no one can decide for me what it is that I deem fit to live upon; nor would I find cause to determine for another.
The next time my child comes home and tells me he got a 100% on his spelling test, I'll inform him that he has no right to all of his hard work; he will have to give 95% back to his fellow students so that they can share in the wealth of his efforts. And once he begins to learn that he will not receive all the credit for his work, I have to wonder if he will study as hard for the next test. And if that mind set takes hold, how long will he push himself to get better and improve?
What if all people were free to achieve whatever path of happiness they chose to walk down? I do not declare that they could do anything they want, they might not reach the heights that they were hoping for, but that they were free and unencumbered by levy or restraint to succeed to the level they were able. Yes, we are all born with different ability. We are all born of different circumstances and environment. We all have a different set of obstacles to overcome but somehow thinking that they could be leveled to reach some altruistic event in time that everyone started from the same gate is not possible. If I allowed myself to start to conceive that I was capable of determining what was "fair" to some and not to others puts me in a place where only Caesar once roamed. We cannot decide by legislation or vote or a progressive burden on attribute that gets what bonus or benefit. We can only strive to make people as free to do so as we can.
Why is it that a certain sector of people feels that by punishing success, they will enhance its taste? I understand that there are people less capable of succeeding than others. Some people are faster, taller, smarter, quicker with wit or numbers, able to solve problems or broker a deal between parties. Why should they constantly be under pressure for having done so? Rather than allow for the system of ideals that helps everyone grow above their current ability, allows people to strive to improve, a certain group believes that instead all people should be brought down to a level common to us all.
If you do not want to rise above your current station, if you are happy to live as you do, then I will not burden you with doing more and I would ask that you not burden me to do the same. Live and let live is the term. I have yet to fathom, live so that others can feed from your labor.
Why stop at 95%? Tax everyone at 100% and give it back the way the government seems fit? Tax it all. If the government is to be the charity, then why not entitle them to all charity; remove all sense of worth to a person’s labor, tax it at 100% and give us what our elected officials see fit.
Freedom......to live, to pursue one's life, liberty and happiness........otherwise Atlas will shrug
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