The Ghost of RubangB said:
pearljammer said:
My largest problem with the argument of government not having the right to tax on an incremental scale depending on wages is simply because how we value certain jobs.
As a teacher I too have worked very hard to get where I am, and I continue to work hard on a daily basis. Is there a huge paycheck waiting for me? Do I need extra tax dollars to help sustain my lifestyle? Certainly not.
I didn't go into teaching for the money as I'm sure there are many people who get paid less (or more for that matter) than myself that didn't go into their careers for the money.
I just don't see the fairness that someone may not be able to afford health care simply for wishing to pursue a certain career path.
I know that it may seem like I'm moreso complaining about free market and capitalism than I am about taxes, but that isn't what I'm trying to get across here. I'm just challenging what it means to be treated equally (I suppose I'm more of an equal opportunity guy rather than an equal treatment one)
I think we can all agree that working hard as a CEO for Nokia is not necessarily any more valuable than working hard as a grade 3 teacher (You can't really put them on the same scale as they require different things from each individual). How hard you work doesn't necessarily determine your outcome. But yet, we a rewarded very differently (don't get me wrong, the rewards of being a teacher, to me, is far more fulfilling to me than any monetary reward).
I see taxes as an attempt to make up for these inequalities. I know, I know, trying to equate an inequality with another inequality doesn't make it right, but it does make it better overall for society as opposed to leaving the capitalist society deem what professions are important or unimportant. At least I think it does.
I think it's necessary for government to regulate this inequality to a certain extent. Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not suggesting communism where wages should be controlled, just some progressive taxing!
Note: Apologies for my poorly written argument. It's far past my bedtime... only half awake *yawn*
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I like this argument a lot.
A couple months ago, my roommate (a very wealthy computer scientist) told me that anybody who makes less money than him does so because they were too stupid or too lazy to major in computer science. He said that any single person in this country could get a computer science degree and make as much money as him if they really wanted to, but people just pick majors based on how hip they are or how easy they are, because nobody wants to think.
So I guess you became a teacher because you were too lazy to study computer science, right?
Man that guy was a wacko.
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Same can be said to your roommate when a doctor is talking about people who make less then 300k. What your roommate said is ridiculous.
Anyway, to this line
"I know that it may seem like I'm moreso complaining about free market and capitalism than I am about taxes, but that isn't what I'm trying to get across here."
The problem is you are not in a fee market, you are in a government run one. If Education was allowed to run like all other capitalist businesses, you would be making a lot of money as a teacher (if your a good one), and out of a job if you suck at it.
Just like the rest of us.
