re:  Anger is sweeping  American rich

Paul Krugman doesn't like the idea that members of Congress are reconsidering the looming tax increases, even potentially canceling or postponing increases in taxes on the "rich".  Interesting how he doesn't seem to be confident enough in his convictions to debate the actual details of the issue in an intellectually honest manner.

For example, he talks about the supposed "vehement denials that people making $400,000 or $500,000 a year are rich"; similarly, President Obama has talked about cutting taxes for "millionaires and billionaires".  But the proposed tax increases start on individuals making $200,000 a year, and many included in the taxes would be small businesses.  Why the shifting target?

Dr. Krugman also fudges when he suggests that the rich, while denying sacrifice themselves, believe that "[s]acrifice is for the little people."  There is no current proposal by anyone, however, to cancel only those tax increases set to fall on the "wealthy".  Rather, the current debate concerns whether to extend the current tax rates for a few Americans, or for all of them.  No one is advocating raising taxes on the lower-end taxpayers (except, perhaps, those that are against extending any of the "Bush tax cuts").

The real "sense of entitlement" is on the part of those who believe that the government is entitled to an ever-increasing share of the property of individuals and families rather than living within its means — not the people seeking to finally force some sense of "sacrifice" on the government.

Sincerely,
Dave Smith
Houston, TX