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Your column contains a misstatement. You state the following: “In the past eight years, we the little people have been forced to provide more and more of the taxes fueling America's redistribution machine.” Per the Internal Revenue Website with numbers through 2005, the latest available: As of 2005, the top 10% of individuals in tax brackets paid 70.3% of all taxes, up from 65.0% in 2001. As of 2005 the top 50% of individuals in tax brackets paid 96.9% of all taxes, up from 96.0% in 2001. If the top 10% increased 5.3% over a 5 year period and the top 50% only increased 0.9%, how are the little people fueling America's redistribution machine? AllAmericanBear

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You are right - USA is a confederacy of dunces. I was trying to find the reason why Obama would receive so much support.

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You are right - USA is a confederacy of dunces. I was trying to find the reason why Obama would receive so much support.

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Re: AllAmericanBear;... Sir, Your numbers could reflect the fact that downward pressure on wages has been relentless... Do you think you could give some corelation with actual returns filed, because my bet is that more and more people are being pushed out of the middle tax brackets and into the lowest, where they will not pay at all... Have you considered that there is a lot of pressure on wages that are not taxes and are not directly for profit, like interest people pay on credit used to suppliment low wages... As you may know, if that is a home equity loan or a refinance, then taxes are not paid on the interest, which subsidizes debt, and interest profit, but robs the government of revenue... I want you to trust me on this.... If the little people had any more to pay they would because they the love their land, but they are ground up between a stone of gold and old reality... If the rich are paying more, they should be paying more yet because they are taking the life right out of this place... If you think of it, every society has got to feed all its members. We all have to get something out of this deal... You can't run a guy out of a job, and then blast him for not working... It happens; but it isn't right....Thanks....Sweeney

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Re: Lynn;... Ma'am,... I have to disagree...We are some angry people and many of us don't know who to blame, but most of us feel it isn't us... Try to understand that this country and this nation is a form, and a form of relationship... Marriages are forms of relationship too, and you know that some times, one side or the other abuses the relationship and uses it for themselves... That does not mean that the other person is a dunce just because they have hope and keep faith, and try to make the relationship work... We try to make the relationship work... The rich of this land are like an unfaithful mate... Sure; they might look at their other as some kind of fool... We don't want to believe that some people are just feeding off us and have abslutely no regard for our needs out of the relationship... The sad fact is that there are some real big ones out there, and they want everything out of the relationship called America, but they don't want to give anything for it... Ultimately, they will be the losers... They would find themselves in terrible straits if they had only each other to exploit; but such people need to be left to themselves and cut out of decent society... Thanks...Sweeney

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Re: James A, Sweeney James, you're talking about a social compact and the idea that there is such a thing as the commons. This idea's death, started by Reagan and accelerated ever since, is what has led this country to it's present state. Each of us, whether politicians, business or just plain citizens have been mesmerized by our own short term selfishness, not caring about the consequences of our actions; indeed, believing that consequences do not even exist, that we are so powerful we can create our own reality. We have been living beyond our means both as individuals and as a country; we have tried to dominate the world militarily on borrowed money while simultaneously shipping our manufacturing overseas and as individulas, buying objects now made overseas that were once made here, not caring that our fellow citizens lost their jobs in the process, our trade deficit soared and the dollar weakened, after all, we still had our jobs and now our goodies were cheaper to buy. All that has ended amd what has gone around has come around. The fixes are obvious, but it will take a large dose of humility to accept them.

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Dear AllAmericanBear: It is not at all clear what you mean by "the top 10% of individuals in tax brackets," but for starters, you need to look at income ranges in percentiles like the top 5%, 3%, 1%, 0.5%, etc., and the taxes those good folks are paying. It's in those rarified areas of wealth where the rip-off is occurring. The top 10% of incomes in this country includes a lot of folks who make well below $250,000. You need to stop getting distracted by small change.

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Re: Masako;...Sir... What percent of the population does have income of 250K? Is it in the top 5% or the top 2%... I can't say I know, or much care... The income tax is very unfair for labor, and any tax change leaving the power structure intact, with the rich having property protection without obligation, and freedom from taxation that tends to make wealth herdiitary is ultimately going to kill the society... Tribal peoples were not reduced to peasants over night, and chiefs were not made feudal lords and kings over night... Slight inequalities played out over years reduced one to slave and another to master...We did not get rid of our king in this land to see people made kings by economy; running their corporations over the top of every bodies freedom... We did not choose the situation we have; but let it evolve out of inequalities of rights... To me, it does not matter by what percent we consider a person rich.. And the solution is not so simple as making the government rich in the place of business... The object is to have government put pressure on wealth, to see first that it comes out of justice, and second that it show a public benefit in private hands... That is, if the rich have it, and the government earns it as taxes by supporting private wealth, then the rich can keep what is good for everyone.... A wealthy society is made when the wealth is shared and defended by all... A few wealthy people holding all the free wealth make all the rest poor and slaves... And you know we would not take it in fact, if the facts were laid out before all... If we were a community of 100, and one person took all but ten percent for his share, some one would introduce him to the tools, and show him how to do his share for his share... We admire the rich, but we give them an honor they do not deserve... At a minimum, taxes ought to pressure wealth so it must constantly seek profit, or hide behind a positive value to society...How much wealth do you think could pass that last test??? We have to move beyond a society where those who must defend the country must pay for the privilage while those whose property and wealth is defended need not lift a finger or spend a nickle to have it protected... No property is ever owned free and clear... It always comes with an obligation......Thanks...Sweeney