We hear no end to the Democrat call to tax the rich, make people pay their fare share, ask “millionaires and billionaires” to “pay a little more”. Republicans try to explain that raising taxes is pointless, particularly in light of the coming balloon of entitlement spending, but Democrats and the media don’t want to hear it and characterize resistance to more taxes as catering to rich “fat cats.” With the incredible magnitude of the numbers involved, it’s difficult to wrap your mind around the nature of the problem, so below you’ll find a way to easily and plainly see why the argument for more taxes is ridiculous.

The graphic below is interactive. The slider determines the income tax rate for “the rich.” The top pie chart shows how much “the rich” get to keep, and the bottom pie chart shows how taxes on “the rich” impact government spending. Some data points:

• “Rich” is defined as per the Democrats, that is all single income households earning $200,000 or more and all dual income households earning $250,000 or more.
• The top pie chart uses a basis of $3.5 Trillion dollars, which is what the Tax Policy Center estimates as the total annual income of “the rich.” This $3.5 Trillion dollar figure will not match what you might see elsewhere because it includes ALL forms of income, rather than paycheck alone, meaning interest income, dividends, etc. This was done to prevent the accusation of “hidden” income, which would then lead to the argument that the chart comparison is flawed.
• The bottom pie chart uses a basis of $6.1 Trillion dollars, which is what the usgovernmentspending.com website calculates as the total combined spending of federal, state, and local governments for 2011.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We did not use the federal only 2011 expenses figure of $3.6 Trillion for the bottom chart, because it is impossible to designate a portion of income as for federal tax calculation only. In other words, the federal government does not say, “Well, we know you made $200,000 this year, but you also pay state and local taxes so we’re only going to calculate taxes on $100,000 of your income.” The only way to normalize the two charts is to compare all income to all expenses. (The $3.6 Trillion figure comes from the Congressional Budget Office.)

Let the charts begin!

If you haven’t already, slide the percentage tax up to 100%. You’ll see that while all of the income of “the rich” is consumed, government expenses are still not covered. What does this mean? It means the Democrats are liars:

• Proposing that the solution for our budget woes (deficit spending) is to have the rich pay more is a lie. You can take 100% of the income of “the rich” (everything – salary, commissions, interest, dividends…) and still not pay for the government.
• The arbitrary $200,000/$250,000 definition of “the rich” is a lie. First, it’s stupid to say it’s ok if you make $199,999.99 but if you make $200,000.00 you’re an evil rich person. Second, you are kidding yourself if you think you’re safe below the $200,000/$250,000 limit. Without spending cuts, the only way to improve the scenario illustrated by the charts above is to lower the income thresholds so the first chart has a larger basis. Without spending cuts, “middle class” tax increases are inevitable. Think $100,000/$125,000, then $50,000/$75,000, etc.

What should be hitting you like a brick about now is that without a reduction in spending, your taxes will be going up. Yes, you. Not “the rich.” Not “millionaires and billionaires.” You.

Well then, let’s cut defense! Defense? Ok, take out $700 Billion, or $.7 Trillion. Disband the entire United States armed forces and you take spending from $6.1 Trillion to $5.4 Trillion. No Army, no Navy, no Air Force, no Marines. You’re still $1.9 Trillion short.

Keep in mind that this is just ONE YEAR. ONE YEAR of a 100% tax rate on “the rich” and complete elimination of the military and we’re still short $1.9 Trillion dollars. One year. “The rich” get nothing. The military gets nothing. $1.9 Trillion dollars short. ONE YEAR.

The Democrats are lying to you, to all of us. Why? The math doesn’t work, period. The “tax the rich” rhetoric has the sole purpose of making one group of people hate another. And it’s working, well.

This needs to end people. Before the whole thing comes crashing down, we need to open our eyes and see what’s really happening here. Taxing “the rich” is a lie. Taxes are not the answer. We must shrink government, radically, and immediately.

I’ll make this chart exercise available to anyone who wants it. I’m hoping it gets some use in the House and Senate. Contact me for details.

Mr. Morgan,

Based on your words and behavior in recent segments of your show, it’s quite apparent that you believe American gun culture to be asinine, and our legally protected right to keep and bear arms to be the root cause of gun related violence and murder in America. It is also clear that you view those who support the right to keep and bear arms as disgusting for what you interpret as complicity in crimes where people are harmed or killed by a gun.

What I think is disgusting Mr. Morgan, is that we continue to bury innocent loved ones because you and others like you refuse to accept reality, refuse to allow open discourse, and refuse to acknowledge the facts of gun control and gun violence. While there is no perfect answer, there is ample evidence that gun control results in more death and destruction. We know how to reduce gun violence. We can repeat fact-based scenarios over and over and over again, yet you prefer to condemn people to suffer at the hands of monsters rather than allow them to defend themselves and those they love and care for.

I hesitate to accuse you of having blood on your hands because I truly believe you are trying to do the right thing, that you really do want to preserve and protect life. But the fact that you will not allow open discussion exposes the unfortunate truth that you do not value life as much as you value your ideology.

I hope you realize that the longer you and others refuse to discuss all options, the closer we move toward the next atrocity. Open your mind before the next madman opens fire.

The Liberty Dude

The dark side of gun culture is not that bad people use guns to do bad things.

The dark side of gun culture is that you have to look in the mirror and realize that there are people out there who would kill you, who would kill your wife, your children, someone else’s children, and they would feel no regret, no remorse, no shame.

You are simply an obstacle, a thing that needs to be moved out of the way so they can have what they want – your TV, your car, your wallet, infamy.

They would not process the fact that you would never get to kiss your wife again, that you would never get to hug your kid again.

If this shocks you, makes you recoil, makes you weep, you are not alone.

The dark side of gun culture is not the machine we use for protection, it is the traumatic process of realizing that there are monsters “out there” who do horrific things. But the monsters are not stupid. They know about our machines with bullets inside them. They know we are out there, waiting to stop them, ready to stop them. That’s why they lurk, on the dark side of gun culture.

Stockings hang with names spelled in glitter.

The tree glows. Colorful presents beneath.

Parents sit. Waiting to hear feet padding down the hall.

To see eyes sparkle.

To watch wrapping paper fly.

Silence.

The joyful noise, bows its head.

Sleep in peace little ones. Sleep in peace.

Dedicated to those lost and those who lost today.

A mandate? Really?!

Obama is delusional if he thinks his reelection was a mandate on policy.

Did he not see the video of people opposing Romney’s policies only to be told that they were Obama’s policies?

Did he not see the college students rallying for Obama who couldn’t articulate why?

Did he not see the “Obamaphone” lady?

This election had nothing to do with Obama’s policies. Even he knows how caustic they are. That’s why he didn’t run on policy. He ran on identity politics and demonization.

This election was all about celebrity. Cool factor. Swagger. Endorsements. Interviews.

The View. Ellen. Samuel L. Jackson. Bruce Springsteen. Jay-Z. Us Magazine.

Policy? Insanity. Any Republican who proclaims otherwise is delusional as well.

Boehner anyone?