“Joe the Plumber,” (a.k.a., Sam Wurzelbacher) has brought the topic of taxes to the political table in a fashion that has long been necessary. Not that “Joe” has made any sort of a valid point—and regardless of whether or not he has a plumber’s license or his affiliation with the McCain campaign. No, Joe’s comments illustrate the abject stupidity of the GOP/Neocon mantra about lower taxes, keeping what you earn, and our obligation to the country.
Joe’s question to Obama was this:
Joe: I’m getting ready to buy a company, it makes about … about $270, $280 thousand dollars a year. Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn’t it? … I’m getting taxed more and more while I’m fulfilling the American dream.
After an extended explanation by Obama and some follow up questions from Joe, Obama summed up with this:
Obama: I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.
… and it is this comment that has the Republicans squealing in agony, because “taxes are bad.”
As I have mentioned previously, the language is meant to frame the debate in exceedingly simplistic terms. In the end, it becomes a case where anyone who suggests a tax in any way, shape, or form—or anyone who does not advocate for the abolition of taxes—is a “socialist” or a “Marxist,” advocating “welfare,” the “redistribution of wealth,” an “economic nanny state,” or any other pejorative connotation of government actually providing something more to its citizens than a fire department and national defense.
Thus, people like Glenn Beck make a blanket accusation that Democrats are “Marxists” (via Crooks and Liars):
He’s bringing up these topics in the wrong way. Not as a political strategist or a politician or anything else, just as a guy who says, OK: The problem with all of these guys is they’re all Marxists — they’re all Marxists. They’re all spread the wealth. So look, I’m not going to tie you to these people any more than they have to, but — but — I mean, all the way from Frank Marshall Davis to your Reverend, they all preach Marxism. Now, you say to Joe the Plumber, I’m going to take some of your wealth and give it to somebody else, that’s Marxism.
Oh really?
Since when is it Marxist to suggest that those who benefit from an economic system have an obligation to fund it?
If you really want to live in a law and order society, they you have to pay taxes. There’s no way around it. Government isn’t some sort of economic clown car that you can pull out whatever you want, but put in nothing.
Freedom isn’t free. You have to pay for it.
… and that’s what taxes are for.
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