The Annoying Hypocrisy Trope

[n2doc]

By Kevin Drum| Thu Apr. 21, 2011 9:00 AM PDT

Gregg Easterbrook:

Obama said last year that itemized deductions for the wealthy should be phased out — then on his own tax return, claimed a huge itemized deduction. Until those who advocate higher taxes for the well-off practice what they preach, the national debt situation may only get worse.

This is one of the most annoying tropes in existence, on both the left and the right. The point of laws is to provide a level playing field, and no one is a hypocrite for following existing law even if they think it should be changed. That goes for congressmen who accept earmarks even though they think earmarks should be banned, it goes for drivers who park for free on city streets even though they think parking meters should be installed, and it goes for rich people who pay taxes at the current rate even though they think that rate is too low.

No one is obligated to be a sucker. The whole point of taxation is that it's a collective enterprise: I'm willing to pay my taxes for the common good as long as everyone else is doing it too. But until then, there's no reason that I should impoverish myself (or my constituents) while everyone else is merrily taking full advantage of current law. Fairness matters, and that ain't fair.

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2011/04/annoying-hypocrisy-trope

[provis99]

1. So the writer would approve of Ayn Rand collecting social security.

I still say she's a hypocrite.

[librechik]

4. sure--she was famous but poor as an elderly person.

can't hink why, her books are such a joy to read!)
:sarcasm:

Even an obnoxious hypocrite like Rand should have the necessities to keep from starving and freezing to death. It's who America is--or should be.

[patrice]

5. Not necessarily. The point is that each action should be evaluated in its context, it's whole contex

t.

There are no absolutes and that statement is so true that not even itself is an absolute.

The real questions are about how honestly and fully self:situation is evaluated and about recognition of how valid and how probable the predicted outcomes are upon which those evaluations are based.

[roguevalley]

8. deeds not words. If obama took the deduction while decrying its

existance, he's a hypocrite, Jeez, what is the definition of hypocrite beyond do as I say not as I do?

[Frances]

2. I take all the legal deductions I can

and that does NOT make me a hypocrite for advocating that the deductions should be changed.

[patrice]

6. And it also doesn't mean that you would fight a change in that situation. nt

[patrice]

7. Nor that you would not work for a change in that situation. nt

[DCKit]

9. Few of us on the DU can AFFORD the really huge deductions taken by the extremely wealthy.

Therefore, they pay far less of a percentage of their income in taxes. After all, they paid to elect (and then lobby) the Congress People who wrote the laws which benefit them disproportionately.

The tax code is in serious need of an overhaul - simplification and elimination of loopholes. I know a lot of intelligent people, but I don't know anyone who doesn't get a headache trying to fill out the 1040 with only pedestrian deductions. The wealthiest, on the other hand, have entire teams of accountants, tax planners and off-shore bankers at their disposal.

[blondeatlast]

3. I tend to agree with the author. Besides, one of the reasons we have laws is that

people lack self-control.