I guess I would make a lousy progressive, because I just don’t buy into their argument that, somehow, rich people are evil.
To me, it would seem that folks like Elon Musk, who both make something people want and provide jobs, have done something that’s beneficial — not only for themselves but for society as well. To encourage this, it would make sense.
But to folks on the left — like millionaire Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) — billionaires are inherently evil, to be constantly used as a point of outrage. “They” — the billionaires — are the source of all the pain of the working class. You can’t have what they have and not have it, even if it makes absolutely no sense.
Bernie was off on one of his typical rants on the subject on Twitter, demanding that the rich “pay their fair share” of taxes.
It is essential that we demand the highest income earners to pay our fair share. Period.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) November 13, 2021
Leftists make this appeal all the time. Rich people are the ones who pay most income tax, even though there are some wealthy people who can take advantage of certain tax provisions that allow them to lower their tax liability.
A Heritage Foundation article from earlier in the year states:
The latest government data show that in 2018, the top 1% of income earners—those who earned more than $540,000—earned 21% of all U.S. income while paying 40% of all federal income taxes. The top 10% earned 48% of the income and paid 71% of federal income taxes….The data show tax rates decline with income, and the poorest 20% of the population pay an average tax rate of just 1%. Similar findings were obtained by left-leaning Tax Policy Center.
— Dr. Nickarama (@nickaramaOG) November 14, 2021
It seems that the wealthy pay more than they deserve.
Bernie can have it with Elon Musk’s $285 billion fortune.
I keep forgetting that you’re still alive
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 14, 2021
Musk followed up by referring to the recent stock sale he made to partially pay taxes.
Bernie, would you like me to buy more stock? Just say the word …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 14, 2021
Musk previously blasted the Democratic effort to put an annual tax on billionaires’ investment gains, as part of their Build Back Better reconciliation package.
Musk has also sparred with Sanders when Bernie chastised him for spending money on space travel, saying he should “focus on Earth.”
“We are in a moment in American history where two guys — Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos — own more wealth than the bottom 40% of people in this country. This level of inequality and greed isn’t just immoral. It is unsustainable,” Sanders tweeted on March 18.
Musk, also the owner of SpaceX, posted a few days later on Twitter that he would use his wealth to help humanity explore outer space.
I’m going to bet those two folks Bernie names also pay more in taxes than the bottom 40 percent and that’s one of the reasons Bernie’s rant is so wrong. He also believes that success and wealth are synonymous with greed. But it’s the only thing socialists like Bernie understand — to take from those who make things.
Musk has stood up, not only against such targeting, but he also stood against lockdown orders over COVID last year, which he called “fascist.” He also told his followers they should take the “red pill” — an indication that he might be rejecting the Democratic narrative.
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