Why pay taxes?

You cannot make a decent living in a country with no roads,healthcare,and a decent minimum wage.

To pay the defense contractors.

1. They are in fact the "governor" for a capitalistic system.
2. Moreover, a "progressive tax" is extremely important for any VITAL capitalistic system where the economy is robust and inherently produces profits which flow to the top. The progressive nature ensures a balance whereby the middle remains strong and feeds into the economic health.
3. Taxes support the military and social programs which sustain the national identity and long term economic success of the country. Without taxes contributing to a national purpose and economic stability, businesses would not necessarily invest in the country and would consider being anti-loyal or even destructive to the national or economic interests.

the tax system is no longer fair. The weight has been shifted to the middle class, social programs have been slashed to nothing while military spending and corporate welfare are at an all time high. If Bush is still in office come April 15th they aren't getting any taxes out of me.

Roll back W's cuts.
Increase the upper rate back to 40%.
Permanently implement the inheritence tax.

Reimplement the tax cuts
Decrease the upper rates back down to 35 and most likely lower
Repeal the inheritance tax once again

That's what they will do. How else did this nation move from the New Deal to what we have today? I'll tell you how. They bought their way into the party in power and changed the laws. It didn't matter to them if it was a Democratic or Republican Congress. They bought their way regardless.

than the rest of us....just because they're Republicans. Kind of like a tariff on imbeciles. They wanna run around acting like complete assholes all the time, then they should pay extra. Yeah.

I think we should all pay higher taxes. The taxes we pay are a bargain for what we receive in return.

you're joking right?

the middle class and poor are taxed enough. with bush, there's no relief in sight.

the rich and the corporations should pay their share and the burden should be lifted from the poor and middle class.

It's a bargain not to have universal healthcare? A bargain not to have a decent minimum wage? A bargain to have traitorous rightwing companies offshoring our jobs to other countries?

look here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2007980&mesg_id=2008058

and here he calls child molesters "poor individuals":
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5693963&mesg_id=5694068

let's just say some red flags are up.

...Bush is in the White House.

Get me a real government before even mentioning higher taxes to me. As long as the current "leadership" is in place, anyone who pays any taxes at all is overtaxed.

And it's bloodless. Alas, Americans don't have the courage.

Most of the people I know would have a revolt for lower taxes regardless of the way they're distributed. Too many people vote Republican just because they hear "lower taxes" and think they'll actually get a major tax cut.

Maybe that's the real issue.
Why PROGRESSIVE.

The answer is simple....it works in a capitalistic environment which naturally pushes money to the top. Unchecked, that creates a constantly tipping of power to an ever increasing ultra rich.

Being progressive, the middle is sustained....and brought up. This is a theory which should be expounded on in the same way that Reagan championed the lie of trickle down.

A progressive tax causes the MIDDLE to "trickle up".

It's not about taking money from the rich and giving it to the poor.
It's about building infrastructure and promoting programs that make the middle vital and healthy.

The scum bag businessmen and Reaganites that still champion tax cuts for the rich ultimately don't have any stake in America. The cat is out of the bag on that account because they've found a way to get around investing in the American worker.

Turning that very insidious cultural shift around will be hard...but in the meantime, the virtues of a progressive tax, with upper rate no lower than 40% MUST be championed.

History also is very clear on the fact that progressive taxes have NOT stimied the capitalistic system.