Reply #103: This quote bugs me...

[Selwynn]

"4. You would get rid of the Bush tax "cut" and make the rich pay their fair share."

I love the sentiment, but hope to god Democrats have better sense then to talk about the rich paying their "fair share" -- they rich pay double what I pay in taxes. It's not about "fair share" -- its about the only way a society is going to work is if those who most benefit from that socity feel a duty to give back to that society according to their means. The rich have to shoulder more, not less nor even an "equal ammount" of that burden - in a sense, they have to do MORE than their "fair" share because it is in their best interetests that everyone have an education, and decent public services and a reasonable quality of life if for no other reason (though there should be many other reasons) than the fact that it means more consumers in the market.

In order for a just society to exists, one that takes care of the poor and the sick and the tired and those yearning to be free -- in order to do that those with the means must feel a patriotic sense of duty to invest more into the society that contributed to their success. But it has nothing to do with "fair share." "fair share" would be a flat tax, which has its own problems.