I've been seeing a number of posts about taxes and taxing. A good number of them advocate for the "rich" to pay all the taxes. That would be accomplished by also limiting their profits. And of course, the Presidents press secretary has a great grasp of economics as displayed by her latest statement. If corporations have to pay more tax they won't raise the price to consumers, well because that would be unethical. Yes, the primary concern of a corporation is ethics. I can only smile and shake my head. That is surely proof positive that our educational system is failing and failing badly.
The rich aren't paying their fair share. Well. the top 10% pay 71% of all taxes collected in the United States. The top 1% pay 41% of that. Yeah, guess that isn't fair. But those facts aren't very popular are they. Doesn't change the fact though. You know the old saying it takes money to make money? That's an old adage and one that is true. Poor people never hired anyone to work for them. Poor people don't own corporations. You want to earn more money? Fact is, your boss has to be making more money for that to happen. The boss isn't giving you a raise out of his or her paycheck! That is a simple reality.
But you say, what of ethics? Personal ethics and business ethics are not the same thing. Personal ethics are tied to personal morality. You have no right to impose your morality on anyone else. Isn't that one of the biggest issues we are dealing with today? The question of the LGBTQ, wyz folks and their place in society and racial inequity and all of that. Morals, and what is morally correct. If the practice is legal it is ethical. may not be moral, but it is ethical. So ethics certainly plays an important role in business, but morality does not. The law of supply and demand rules the day. If you want the product you will pay for that product. Now it is true that we have instituted anti-trust laws to protect ourselves. The government (that's you and I, not some separate mysterious organization) are aware that there are those lacking both morals and ethics! That is the purpose of anti-trust laws. Those laws aren't supposed to limit profits, just protect from predatory business practices, among other things.
As far as taxes go, we are already being taxed on a sliding scale. The more you make, the higher the tax rate. Is that fair? I have long advocated for a flat tax. That's fair. Everyone pays the same rate, no exceptions, no exemptions. But that won't happen anytime soon. Why? Because everyone loves those exemptions and exceptions. The only real issue is when the wealthier folks can afford to hire tax lawyers, accountants and other professionals to maximize their exemptions and exceptions! Then many want to complain, it isn't fair. It's fair when they take the standard deduction, child tax credits, itemize their expenses but not when a corporation does it. You could argue the ones receiving the most benefits and entitlements from the government (again that's your money) are paying the least and in some cases nothing at all! Tell me how that is fair? Those producing the least are receiving the most. It may be a collective moral obligation to do so but it is ethical of the recipients to make that a lifestyle? Yes, it works both ways.
If you are wealthy, good for you. You are under no obligation to give me a thing. As long as you are operating within the law I have nothing to say. I may envy your fancy cars, houses and disposable income but that doesn't mean you have to pay more for the same product as I do. The cost of government is an equal burden upon all citizens. The more demands you make upon government the more you will have to pay. You can't tax yourself into prosperity! If you are going to limit the profit a corporation can make, you also have to limit how much you can make. You good with that?
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