Oh and Jason- i think calling the poor 'lazy underachievers' is just plain low. I do not think you are stupid enough to be oblivious to the cycle of poverty, i am actually very suprised you even made that comment.
Why do the rich deserve to stay rich and the poor be ground into the floor? American society is based on the fact that you can work your way up to be anything- but the truth is that is only the case if you fit into a stereotypical box. It was you who said to me the other day society there was so very much based on class.
The reason I say that Rosie and the reason I don't think like Andrew is because right now the system does not work... the current system promotes and rewards underachievement. There is no incentive for betterment. No one is stuck in their situation. Anyone can work their way into anything they want. The problem here is we currently have a system that says don't work too hard because we don't reward real success, we tax it. Hell we tax people when they DIE!?!
And Andrew... 90% of the rich inherited their wealth?? Where did you get that statistic? And I understand that it has been shown that if you take a group of "rich" people and a group of "poor" people... and give them equal means... within a set amonut of time.. the rich would be rich again and the poor would be poor again. I don't understand why the successful people should be penalized for that and the underachievers should just be allowed to steal a portion of thier money to clean up their mistakes...
Plain and simple, it is not the government's job to force morality. That's the job of the churches and private organizations... It's interesting to see Decmocrats take such Anti-Religious stances on so many issues, but then be the forefront of "forced-tithing" by income redistribution to help the poor and destitute.