Equitable not Equal

Equitable, an adjective, meaning just or fair is not the same as equal, an adjective, meaning of the same measure, quantity, value etc. To obtain economic equity we need some method to control undesirable differences in income—fair common sense corporate C.E.O. compensation regulations, for example, seem first in order.

The free market hasn’t done it on its own and that is not likely to change. And even if an imposed regulation could legally be put in place to obtain the needed equity, the loud howls of socialism would echo though out the land.

The best way would be to get rid of all the loopholes in the progressive income tax, (these loopholes were negotiated into the tax code by the well off by the way—certainly not by the poor), this would be the equitable way to do it: why shouldn’t the tax rate progress to a higher level on those who can well afford to pay a larger share than the poor, they are still vastly better off than those in a lower income bracket, I’ll guess that none would willingly trade places with a poor person.

Closing some of these loopholes would, to their benefit, make the rate on lower income people less.

But can’t you just picture the "Tea Party" protesters after being told by their puppeteers that their taxes would be raised (when actually they would go down); picture them in the streets with their T-shirts and their placards of hate—and the rich secretly smiling.

And just a few more words

The above is given almost mockingly tongue-in-cheek and perhaps a bit sarcastically because it is so unlikely that these types of changes to the tax code will happen—the wealthy have so much power to influence legislators with their money and army of paid lobbyists.

But in our system of government, it could be done.

It would take a true grass roots movement to accomplish it. A place where the people who are truly frightened by what they feel is happening to our country can gather in spirit and in communication, on the internet—and then in body at the voting booth.