Bad metaphor (paying taxes is NOT the same as paying for dinner), bad science (n<11), and bad argument for tax cuts - do you really think the four "little guys" really have the POWER in our society to "beat up" the richest guy? Hardly. They can consider themselves lucky if the baddest of rich guys (Kenneth Lay? Dick Cheney?) get their just desserts.

Wow...nothing like completely missing the point. Our tax system is set up so that the rich pay a higher percentage than the poor, making their contribution disproportionately higher. A flat rate eliminates that problem, and the wealthy still pay more dolloar for dollar.

So who would feel it more in there wallet? The guy making $50,000 a year getting taxed a flat 20% or a guy making 2.4 million a year paying a flat 20%

You assume that money is worth less to the wealthy. 20% is 20%. So the guy making $2.4M has more money leftover. So what?!? What did the guy making $50g's do to deserve his share of the millionaire's cash?

Short answer = NOTHING

The cure to all of these haves vs. have nots arguements is simple. This country was founded on the ideals of capitalism, which means get off your lazy ass and get yourself ahead.

Money IS worth less to the wealthy - haven't you ever seen Uncle McScrooge burning money in his fireplace??? By the way, that definition of capitalism is just top drawer, 007.

With the current administration pandering to the ultra-rich and the corporate hogs , the U.S. can hardly be considered to engender the kind of laissez-faire system you depict. I appreciate the work ethic, but it implies that you must get ahead *at the expense of others*. Economies are NOT zero-sum structures; i.e., it IS possible for us all to grow together (not necessarily equally mind you - I still expect classes to develop in a laissez-faire system), rather than apart. Our political system is not embracing our capitalist roots with this latest tax cut - it is embracing our aristocratic roots.

My last comment on this, so you can all spare me the bleeding heart liberal speech here. I am in exactly the situation that most americans are - yeah, it would be nice to have more money, and if i weren't so fuking lazy I'd have it. However, the bottom line is this - I'm comfortable with what I have, and taxing the rich will not, repeat, not get me that extra $$. Hard work and something besides rocks between my ears will.

The majority of folks in this country have had it so good for so long they feel somebody (read - the gubment) owes them something. When you are born into this wretched existence there are no guarantees. Besides, don't fault the rich, you want to be one someday, right? Besides, income tax is unconstitutional, and our wonderful leaders fail to see that. We are all victims of armed robbery everytime we pay income tax.

Turk - In order to say that getting ahead comes at the "expense of others", you have to assume that economies ARE zero sum games.

I the analogy is pretty good. Its not science and didnt claim to be, its just a humorous piece that makes the simple point that if you continue to soak (and villainize) the "rich" you're creating a dis - incentive to become "rich" - a trend that ultimately will hurt the "little guys".