One of Elizabeth Warren’s quotes is being promoted by moveon.org as a brilliant insight (Read the quote here). I was intrigued when I saw that it’s apparently a quote “every American needs to see,” and people have described it saying “She just said the best thing. Possibly ever.” But I was surprised when I read it to discover it can hardly even be called an argument. I mean, it is an argument for taxation in general, and for some of the most uncontroversial government functions like roads and the police, but its not some serious talking point for our current taxation debate. It really seems like the left falls in love anytime someone says anything against conservatives on economics, even when it has as little profundity as this.
Not that Warren is incapable of giving arguments for deeper issues, but those enthralled by this quote pretend like it makes a case for why rich people should have to pay more taxes. It just goes back to their vague concept of rich people not paying their “fair share.” Even though the top 5 percent of earners made 34.7 percent of the nation’s income, but paid about 58.7 percent of federal individual income taxes, its apparently still not their “fair share.” The quote really should be something more like this:
There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own. Nobody. You built a factory out there — good for you.
But I want to be clear. You most likely got your start because a person richer than you had enough money to expand his or her productivity and hire you. Your business may have even been a major beneficiary of investments from more wealthy people. Maybe you even had a product or service that was a hit with rich people going on a spending splurge.
So do us a favor and take the money you earned and become the type of rich person you so greatly benefited from. Because we all know, even a filthy rich person like you, with all your selfish motives, can do more to give the next kid that comes along a job than our incompetent government.
