The Top 10 Percent Must Pay Their Share in Taxes
As the top 10 perent now owns 77 percent of U.S. wealth, the lion's share of defense spending to protect their wealth has ballooned, with defense appropriation reaching $700 billion. This is $81 billion greater than last year, defying “sequestration” spending caps set in the 2011 Budget Control Act.
Among the top two priorities of the super donor class are free trade and robust defense spending, with this spending appearing to be the third rail for these super donors as the Senate votes 89 to 9 for the Pentagon bill. In addition, 45 has back-peddled on his campaign promise to label China a currency manipulator in the name of national security. This panders to the super donor class by prioritizing both of their highly valued issues.
At a time when most Americans feel less safe because of lack of adequate gun-control and climate change denial in the beltway, we have 45 proposing huge tax cuts for himself, his family and the top 10 percent. With ever-increasing wealth inequity and related defense spending, combined with tax-cuts for the rich, the rational response is a wealth tax on the top percenters to pay for the lion's share of defense spending, which goes toward protecting their assets worldwide.
We often hear the wealthy should pay their fair share of taxes, but without specific rationale. With defense spending viewed as protecting assets, as well as life and limb, it is easy to justify a specific tax on the top percenters for the huge cost of protecting their assets here and abroad.
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