Do you know what happens to a wealthy person after you raise their taxes by 5%?

[Beartracks]

13. It's not govt's job to reward capitalists for a job well done.

Rush complains that raising taxes on the rich will "punish" their "success." (The corollary must be that raising taxes on the poor and middle class is some kind of worthy punishment that can motivate the non-rich to become rich and thus escape from such burdens of responsible citizenship.)

But if government's job is not to mete out punishment to capitalists, neither is it to reward them. Government's purview is to provide a stable framework in which all sorts of societal functions can occur sustainably, and the resonsibilty of individuals to contribute to this effort increases with their ability to do so.

The rich man's reward for his hard work and/or good fortune is his riches -- not a relief from his fair share of taxes. Yes, he will still be rich -- he will still have his reward -- even after his financial contributions to a more just and productive society.

Representative democracy is America's form of government, not capitalism. If you succeed as a capitalist, congratulaions; it's time to give back.

It's telling, by the way, that El Rushbo calls the 1% "successful Americans." In his way of thinking, which mirrors so much right wing philosophy, being American is just a game where the score is measured in dollars, and where there must be a consequence or a judgment meted out on the "losers."