Stephen King gets it

pretty funny.  Need to read the whole article.

"I’ve known rich people, and why not, since I’m one of them? The majority would rather douse their dicks with lighter fluid, strike a match, and dance around singing “Disco Inferno” than pay one more cent in taxes to Uncle Sugar. "  

- Stephen King, Author

If only this sentence could be made into a bumper sticker, I would display this fine piece of writing on my car for all to see. I read just about all the Stephen Kings novels when I was a teenager.  I then had to stop 'cause I scared the crap out of myself. I moved onto the more literary Michael Crichton after that.  I have never even thought to ask what King's political affiliations were, then or now, since…well, I don't really care because he writes really good books that are made into pretty good movies.

However, in his op-ed for the daily beast, he tells you bluntly which side he's on -- America's F&*king side.  He lays down the argument in wonderfully profane language, as to why it doesn't make sense for those rich people who think they should be taxed at a higher rate to just "cut a check to the government". This would be considered charitable behavior.  But charity doesn't deal with the real issues.

"What charitable 1 percenters can’t do is assume responsibility—America’s national responsibilities: the care of its sick and its poor, the education of its young, the repair of its failing infrastructure, the repayment of its staggering war debts. Charity from the rich can’t fix global warming or lower the price of gasoline by one single red penny. That kind of salvation does not come from Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Ballmer saying, “OK, I’ll write a $2 million bonus check to the IRS.” That annoying responsibility stuff comes from three words that are anathema to the Tea Partiers: United American citizenry."

I don't believe it is class warfare to want people who have enough money to pay for the privilege of being born in a country that nurtures entrepreneurship.  People didn't make it in America in spite of the societal and economic structure, but because of it.

I guess some of this mad right-wing love comes from the idea that in America, anyone can become a Rich Guy if he just works hard and saves his pennies. Mitt Romney has said, in effect, “I’m rich and I don’t apologize for it.” Nobody wants you to, Mitt. What some of us want—those who aren’t blinded by a lot of bullshit persiflage thrown up to mask the idea that rich folks want to keep their damn money—is for you to acknowledge that you couldn’t have made it in America without America. That you were fortunate enough to be born in a country where upward mobility is possible (a subject upon which Barack Obama can speak with the authority of experience), but where the channels making such upward mobility possible are being increasingly clogged. That it’s not fair to ask the middle class to assume a disproportionate amount of the tax burden. Not fair? It’s un-fucking-American is what it is. I don’t want you to apologize for being rich; I want you to acknowledge that in America, we all should have to pay our fair share. That our civics classes never taught us that being American means that—sorry, kiddies—you’re on your own. That those who have received much must be obligated to pay—not to give, not to “cut a check and shut up,” in Governor Christie’s words, but to pay—in the same proportion. That’s called stepping up and not whining about it. That’s called patriotism….

I don't think I can say it any f*&king better...