Tim Nerenz's Blog – March 2011 Archive (2)

Of all of the myths that persist about wealth and work, perhaps the most stubborn is the myth of the working man; that stoic character who toils harder, grinds longer, contributes more, and is paid less than his presumptively non-working overlords.



Socialists, liberals, and Democrats claim to be "for" the working man – as long as it’s the union-represented working man. Capitalists, conservatives, and Republicans also claim to be "for" the working man, too – mostly they mean the…

In a response to my piece entitled, "Taxeaters", a reader who favored progressive income taxation posed this question back to me: why shouldn’t the top 50% of income earners pay 96% of the taxes?



My answer: for the same reason that they shouldn’t have to pick up 96% of the state’s collective bar tab. All knowledge builds upon what you know.



That evening, I pondered his question some more and was inspired while enjoying a pub meal that Michelle Obama would ban if…