Originally Posted by
Jag_Warrior
When one imposes onerous taxes on one economic class or another, in order to arrive at a "socially beneficial" result (however you want to define that), it's important to carefully consider any potential, unintended consequences. With the Affordable Care Act, Americans and our clueless politicians are now learning ALL ABOUT unintended consequences. One example, if you tax providers of capital too heavily, while you might benefit the working class short term, what work will they perform when the "capital class" (we'll call them) reduces capital availability or moves it elsewhere? I collect rents from buildings and houses I've built or bought in years past. Yes, the rent is paid by those who work. But I paid workers to build the houses and buildings. Without my capital, the contractors would have had fewer jobs and the tenants would have had fewer housing options. And I'm just a teeny, tiny player - plus I work too. I have no (practical) off-shore options, as the real money men do. With our globalized economies, moving capital from high tax environments to lower tax environments isn't all that hard for those who (truly) have the means.