Personally, I think the argument is pointless unless we discuss all taxes (and this includes fees, tariffs and any other monies we pay our local, state, and federal governments) if you add up all the taxes we pay, those on the lower end of the economic ladder pay a disproportionate percentage of their income to the government and to financial institutions just to get by. I do not believe in "punishing" the rich. I do believe this country was designed by rich land owners to work better for the rich. Our legal, financial, and health systems all favor the wealthy. Because of this I think a moderately progressive tax system is fair.

And this notion that our country was founded and built into a super power by go-it-alone individuals, succeeding by themselves only because the government got out of their way is ludicrous. Our landed gentry, founding fathers had a business model that required huge swaths of new land given to them free or cheap by the government. The transcontinental railroad is another example, railroad barons gained their wealth because they were given sweetheart deals and basically, free land from the government. I could go on and on . . . the argument is not about capitalism or socialism, it is not about regulations or the free market. It is about a fair balance that takes our society as a whole into account. It is about freedom with a conscience . . . wealth with responsibility . . . caring about people and the bottom line . . .