The "Plight" of Rich People

Right wing talk show pundits are fond of wringing their hands about the "plight" of rich people having to pay higher taxes than less affluent people. They complain the loudest about tax money being spent on social programs that help the less fortunate, with health care reform being one of their pet peeves..

They rail againt not being able to "keep every dollar they make", viewing it as being no more than government sponsored "stealing" of their "hard earned dollars". They do this, conveniently ignoring the fact that even after paying taxes, they're still rich and still are living comfortable, privileged lives. The real issue is that it just grinds their gears that their tax dollars are going to actually (gasp!) help other people, whom they believe are all undeserving losers who lay around smoking pot all day.

I find it rather interesting, though, that they never complain about their tax money going to fund an increasingly expensive and unpopular war, for example, or other programs that do not assist underprivileged people. You didn't hear a word of complaint from them when the government spent more than $40 million for the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky investigations, to cite another example.

But taxes, like death, are inevitable and they're not going to go away, even if changes are eventually made in how they're collected. The government is going to get the money it needs to operate, regardless. I have no problem with my tax dollars going to help less fortunate people; it's just a part of life when one lives in a civilized society -- part of what gives any given society the right to be called civilized. Given today's shaky economy, any one of us could one day (and sometimes suddenly) be one of the weaker members of society and need assistance.

Thoughts?