The Incomplete Cynic

evilteabagger:

Reblogging this for a few things.

One, it was tagged under taxes. I can’t see the word taxes in this quote at all so I’m confused as to how a quote on voluntary, charitable giving got misconstrued into a quote to support theft and violence.

Two, I do notice the word should. Should is different than must in that it urges someone to do something, apart from threatening wealth redistribution with threats of force or imprisonment. Philanthropy can’t be forced.

Something tells me this is the only thing the economically illiterate left have actually read by Adam Smith.

Two other things: first, the obvious fact that our system of progressive taxation guarantees that the rich will be paying something more than an equal proportion of their revenue. Not only that, our system has reached a point where only half of income earners paid income taxes last year. In case you’re curious, that is most certainly the bottom half. So, if anyone’s not paying their “fair share” it’s me, the father of two who’s been in the workforce since I was 16 and never not gotten a refund.

Second, and slightly less obvious: to say something is “not very unreasonable” is not the same as saying it’s the right thing to do. There are most certainly other solutions. Of course, we’ve already chosen this one, unfortunately, a bunch of people who pay no taxes or something like 8% after credits and deductions, think it’s a travesty that someone who earns more only has to give up 30%. If that’s you’re idea of “in proportion to their revenue”, then we are, as a society, well and truly screwed.

(via antigovernmentextremist)