Do the Rich have a Moral Obligation to pay Higher Taxes?

Question: Do the Rich have a Moral Obligation to pay Higher Taxes!?
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Depends on who you're asking!. For example St!. Thomas Aquinas famously said "Whatever a man (sic) has in superabundance is owed, of natural right, to the poor for their sustenance"!. Ronald Dworkin, famous legal philosopher and lover of all things equal in a formal sense, would probably be opposed to differential taxes because he believes in formal equality!. Which brings me to an important distinction!. Your question has implications on three philosophical levels: first, on a moral level (Aquinas); second, on a political level (which would be people like Plato and Socrates, or more recent Rawls and his liberalism, who talk about what the best society would be); and third, it brings up interesting problems in legal philosophy (Dworkin the formalist)!. So, in terms of legal thinking, some argue that laws are just/fair only when they treat everyone equally in the sense that the same laws apply to everyone regardless of race, gender, income or whatever (formalists)!. Formalists hold views that are at odds with those who believe that substantive equality, which looks at the impact of laws on individuals, is more just!. People who are down with substantive equality hold that laws need to take into account our differences and the different impacts that laws have on different people in order for laws to be just!. For example, a formalist would think that everyone should pay the same price for speeding but a substantive inclined person would say that the impact of a set fine would be much different for a low income vs!. high income person!. So, on a moral level, one might argue that it is not right to charge everyone the same amount of taxes since the impact of the amount charged differs widely with a person's income!. For example, if everyone has to pay $100/year in taxes, but I make 100K/year and Bob makes 15K/year, then I am paying a lot less than Bob relative to our salaries!. Moreover, even if we both paid the same percent in tax the impact on Bob would still be far more severe than the impact on me!. And, finally, what St!.Thomas Aquinas was talking about really makes sense to me!. Basically, he was saying, how can people go out and spend 100$ on hand creme (for example) when there are children suffering from hunger all across North America!? Surely, it can't be moral to engage in extreme opulent spending when there are people in our communities who can't afford to have a home or buy food!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

First let me say that I am a poor person!. Seriously by American standards, I am poverty stricken!. I collect a disability check from the government!.
Do the rich have a moral obligation to pay higher taxes!? Why would they!? This "Robin Hood" mentality of the Obama people needs to change! All taxpayers should be taxed the same percentage!. If you tax a person ,oh, say 10% of his income which is $50,000, you have $5,000 for the government!. If you tax that rich guy the same percentage of his income which is $50,000,000 you are getting $5 million!
There is no reason to tax more!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No not at all!. Taxing the so called rich at higher rates is punishing people for being succesfull!. Everyone should pay the same rate with few if any deductions or loop holes!. The rich would therefore pay more dollars in taxes but will not be punished for making more money!. This is always a tough question for many people because they feel that they are not rich and think that those doing better than them are!. They also feel that because the others are rich they can afford to pay more taxes!. You have to ask your self what you consider rich!. We can all agree that Bill Gates is rich but is the guy who makes $50,000 a year or $100,000 or as Barack Obama says $250,000 a year rich!. If you feel they are how much more in taxes should they pay!. Should they pay 1% more 5% or even higher!. Should we tax them enough to knock them back to what you consider not being rich!. This is classic socialism!. The redistribution of wealth is not the answer in my opinion!. I don't know if you would consider me rich but I feel I pay plenty in taxes!. After paying my taxes and the mortgage on a modest home I don't have much left!. By the way my combined income between my business and my wifes job is under $150,000 a year!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Well, a banded structure is certainly justified!. Those who would lead an uncomfortable life paying more should pay less!. The same percentage for everyone would not work, more people would lose their homes!.!.!.

How rich can you be and claim to be moral!? There are people starving!. Lucky for us non-starving people, morals in modern culture seem to be relative to everyone nearby!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

They have an obligation to help those less fortunate, but that doesn't equate to higher taxes!.

To give VOLUNTARILY is indeed a blessing, but to give because you are forced by the government and threatened with jailtime or fines due to "Tax evasion"!.!.!.!. that's not "giving", it's "paying!."Www@QuestionHome@Com

A flat tax does not work and currently the very wealthy do not pay more than say the reasonably comfortable!. The 3% tax that all these republicans claim as socialism is BS!. The wealthy were paying that before tax cuts!. The trickle didn't trickle as salaries stagnated!. So this is there reward for no passing down some of the 2, 3, 400% raises they've all been getting over the last decade!. Having all the wealth at the top stifles economy and its caught up to us!. Most tax dollars are allready used as a "wealth redistirbution" if you want to call it that by taxing those that have money and setting up prgrams for those that don'tWww@QuestionHome@Com

Yes, in total dollar amounts, but it should be the same as a percentage!. If the rich would actually PAY their taxes, this wouldn't be an issue!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

no, I think WE should all pay the same % for each dollar we make!. I guess that means the more you make the more you pay!. seems fair to me!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

rich should not have to pay more taxes (porportionatly) then the poor!. they should be taxed by a percentage of their income, not when they make over a curtain amount of moneyWww@QuestionHome@Com

I think the poor have a right to storm the castle and take the wealth from the rich !. True wealth distribution !. Www@QuestionHome@Com

It should be done by % of your income!. LET ME ASK YOU THIS!? If you were rich, would you want to give your money to some crackhead, just because you made more money!?
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NO it has nothing to do with morality!. They should pay the same percent as a lower wage earner!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

yes, They are able to afford it so why wouldn't they want to help!? a lot of people never even work, Which i think is SO wrongWww@QuestionHome@Com

how about they pay at least the same rate as the rest of us!? That would be a start!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Only if the majority thinks they do!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

no!.!.!.they earned the money, therefore they should keep it!. I am not my brother's keeper!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Give to Cesar what is Cesar'sWww@QuestionHome@Com