Iowa Republican Debate

[Professor S]

Originally Posted by thatmariolover

I only support a tax increase on the super wealthy in that it's smarter than getting rid of social services offered to the poor or raising taxes on the middle class. I don't think that it's going to solve our budget crisis at all. But when Republicans say they want 'everybody to pay their share' and that includes taxing the middle class while extending cuts for the rich, I have a problem.

The progressive flat tax you guys have discussed seems quite fair.

Your full comment here shows how damaging demagoguery is to political discussion. The truth is that installing a progressive flat tax is technically a massive tax cut to the rich, and any opposing party would paint it as such. Now this is only a cut to their rate, and has nothing to do with $ paid, but it is so easy to attack anything that even remotely looks favorable to the wealthy. This is what many refer to as "class warfare".

The truth is the super rich would likely pay more with a lowered rate with few loopholes, but a complicated truth is often far more difficult to present to voters than a simple lie.