They may want bigger government because they are overpaid bureaucrats administering ever-growing programs. Posted on 02/05/2014 2:33:05 PM PST by Kaslin
Why do statists support higher tax rates?
The most obvious answer is greed. In other words, leftists want more tax money since they personally benefit when there’s a larger burden of government spending. And the greed can take many forms.
They may want bigger government because they’re welfare recipients getting handouts.
They may want bigger government because they are overpaid bureaucrats administering ever-growing programs.
They may want bigger government because they’re lobbyists manipulating the system and it’s good to have more loot circulating.
They may want bigger government because they’re one of the manyinterest groups feeding at the federal trough.
Or they may want bigger government because they are politicians seeking to buy votes.
But greed isn’t the only answer.
Some statists want higher tax rates for reasons of spite and envy.
Consider this poll from the United Kingdom. It shows that an overwhelming majority of Labour voters want higher tax rates even if the government doesn’t collect any money.
These numbers are remarkable. It’s not just that the Labour Party is filled with people who want to punish success, I’m also dismayed to see that 16 percent of Tory voters and 35 percent of UKIP voters also want class-warfare tax hikes solely as an instrument of envy (though, given the mentality of some of their leaders, I’m pleasantly surprised that “only” 29 percent of Lib Dems are motivated by spite).
What about Americans? Do they have the same mentality?
We don’t have identical polling data, so it’s hard to say. 
But it would be very interesting to show leftists the IRS data from the 1980s, which unambiguously demonstrates that rich people paid more tax after Reagan dramatically lowered the top rate, and then see how they would answer the same question.
If they’re motivated by greed, they would favor Reagan’s tax cuts. But if they’re motivated by envy, like leftists in the United Kingdom, they’ll be against Reagan’s lower tax rates.
Unfortunately, there’s at least one prominent statist in America who has the same views as England’s Labour Party voters. Pay close attention at the 4:20 mark of this video.
Five Key Reasons to Reject Class-Warfare Tax Policy
Yes, you heard correctly. President Obama wants higher tax rates and class-warfare tax policy even if the government doesn’t collect any additional money.
Which means, of course, that he’s willing to undermine American competitiveness and reduce economic output solely to penalize entrepreneurs, investors, small business owners, and other “rich” taxpayers.
Remarkable.
P.S. By the way, the poll of UK voters wasn’t merely a theoretical question. 
The previous Labour Party government raised the top tax rate from 40 percent to 50 percent near the end of last decade and there’s very strong evidence that this tax hike failed to raise any revenue. In all likelihood, the then-Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, imposed the class-warfare policy in hopes of gaining votes in the upcoming election.
P.P.S. Notwithstanding their many flaws, at least the folks who work for left-leaning international bureaucracies acknowledge the Laffer Curve and generally argue against pushing tax rates above the revenue-maximizing level.
Since it takes a lot to be to the left of the United Nations, that gives you an idea of where Obama (and UK Labour Party voters) are on the ideological spectrum. Which is why I made the tongue-in-cheek suggestion that Birthers accuse Obama of being born in Denmark rather than Kenya.
Power over other people.
Pride. They are insufferably righteous about being right.
Look at Obamacare’s hideous website malfunction and the CBO’s disasterous employment projections.
The left will not admit this Thing needs to file thirteened.
It does, but they will never admit it.
Both...plus a lot of hatred.
If you think about it, the Democrat party has long been the “Seven Deadly Sins” party.
Lust
Gluttony
Greed
Sloth
Wrath
Envy
Pride
However, in all fairness, they have enlarged the list to incorporate ever more sinful acts.
Tyranny
Dehumanization
Human Sacrifice
Genocide
Philistinism
Racketeering
Surveillance
Treason
National Immolation
My dear old Dad was a lefty for forever. I didn’t realize it until I matured and was able to “see” his faults, but still love him because after all, he was only human.
But I could never fathom his rants and tirades against doctors, and other professional people. He hated them. He ridiculed them, he called them “greedy ba$$tards.”
One day, I interjected that those folk spent YEARS of study and hard work to get to where they were at. The explosion was instant and profound.
My mother later pulled me aside and told me to not discuss or argue with him on those issues.
Jealousy drove him. His hatred for professional or educated people was right on the surface.
Enter me, he was proud as hell when I got the education I got, but on unguarded moments, out it came. “So, you think you’re better than the ‘workin man’?”
When I reminded him that I “worked” too, and real hard, (which he knew) his face would go purple and he would go silent.
He was not a greedy man, but his union bosses were. Pop just could NOT bring himself to see that those scumbags, who “took” his hard earned dollars, were actually worse than the corporate pigs he worked for, hated and who “paid” him really well.
I know lefties are greedy as hell, and they DON’T want to work for it. But my experience was that many of the rank and file, like my dad, were driven by simple envy.
GREED! Always greed as you notice that none of the liberals in congress or state gov’t ends up poor after getting into office.
Ambivalence, (having two conflicting emotions at the same time), is also part of the typical Juvenile Liberal stunted emotional development.
Thus, to your question: Greed or Envy? The answer is YES!
After all, where would B. Hussein be without the conflicting emotions of Love and Hate; Admiration and Class Envy; and, of course, Truth and Lies.
Excellent quote, thanks!
Hatred - because they hate their own hollow lives,
and
Envy - others, for having lives.
They will endlessly seek power over others, because they have none over themselves.
Envy and Hatred are COMPULSIONS. They have no power to quell them inside.
Great post
Their purpose is to run on the wholesale violating of all 10 Commandments and then appointing themselves as God to justify it!
"The vision of the left is not just a vision of the world. For many, it is also a vision of themselves -- a very flattering vision of people trying to save the planet, rescue the exploited, create 'social justice' and otherwise be on the side of the angels.
"This is an exalting vision that few are ready to give up, or to risk on a roll of the dice, which is what submitting it to the test of factual evidence amounts to. Maybe that is why there are so many fact-free arguments on the left, whether on gun control, minimum wages or innumerable other issues -- and why they react so viscerally to those who challenge their vision."
Yes.
Everything else is secondary ... first and foremost, the leftist lusts for power. The leftist doesn't worship God, the leftist thinks he IS god.
Power and Control, both go together.
The left is envious of the power the opposition holds
and greedy because as long as there IS opposition
they don’t have enough power.
Laziness...most leftists I’ve known are allergic to real work.
Greed is just a subform of envy. Envy eventually matures into hate, theft, adultery, violence, destruction, murder, war, and voting Democrat. Envy is an unfortunate side effect of vanity. The origin of all human evil can be traced back to vanity... so really all is vanity.
Liberals minds don’t seem to work the way normal people’s minds work. I *think* it’s what “obtuse” is, but I’m not sure. Agree that there’s a lot of hatred- to the point of depravity, & that they really go whole hog when they think they’ve got the power, but mostly, they’re just nuts. There doesn’t have to be a “reason”- one will be along any minute now.
I would love to know if there is a psychological disorder/ definition that goes with it. (like that’s going to happen)
envy and greed are two fingers on the same hand
Demonism comes to mind.
The peons...envy
The big Kahunas..power.
It’s the big Kahunas job to re-enforce the ‘envy’ paradigm.
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