Time to Gouge the Rich

The whole tax cut debate is proceeding from the wrong premise. The question is not whether obscenely rich plutocrats seeking to turn the middle class into serfs should have to pay taxes at the same 39.6 percent rate they paid during the Clinton Prosperity.

The question is why obscenely rich plutocrats seeking to turn the middle class into serfs are not paying the 91 percent rate they paid under republican President Eisenhower.



The motherfucking rich have been gouging the country into economic disaster for the past nine years. Let them pay the Eisenhower rates for the next nine years.

Then we'll talk about fairness.

Steve Benen:

Chris Hayes raised a good point this morning that bears repeating: "I would very much like to see the U.S. return to the average top marginal tax rates of the Reagan administration." He added, "Do Republicans believe the top marginal rates under Reagan were 'job killing'?"

This is relevant, of course, in light of the debate over tax rates in Washington. President Obama wants to keep lower rates for the middle class; Republicans are fighting to protect lower rates for the wealthiest Americans. Under Obama's vision, the top marginal tax rate would return to 39.6% -- where it was under Clinton, and where it would return based on the expiration date adopted by George W. Bush and congressional Republicans.

At this point, the GOP considers a 39.6% top rate, applied only to the top 2% of wage earners, as somehow confiscatory and dangerous.

SNIP

A 39.6% top rate isn't outrageous. It's not socialism. It's lower than the top rate for most of Reagan's presidency, lower than Nixon's top rate, lower than Eisenhower's top rate, and lower than FDR's top rate when he pulled us out of the Great Depression.

There's really no reason for Republicans to hyperventilate here.

If the repugs insist on crying about top tax rates that are criminally low, let's really give them something to cry about.

Do House Democrats want something that will inspire a Democratic voter turnout that puts 2008 to shame? Propose a 91 percent tax rate on the obscenely rich. Do it now.

Cross-posted at They Gave Us A Republic ....