U.S. Middle Class nearly gone

[RolloTheGreat]

Ben is acknowledging the problem but pointing the finger at the wrong guilty party.

No, he is correct.

Taxation/govt is not the answer to prosperity as government is an expense in an economic system, not a source of wealth, fix for the trade deficit, or self sustaining.

He's also correct that taking disposable income from people that have "more than enough" in the redistributionist's words hurts the economy. Close to home example: In the last three years, I have purchased two full size trucks, a sports car, and a 150hp boat made by American firms, all new off the lot. No car replaced had more than 70K miles on it, the boat replaced was five years old, so I didn't "need" new vehicles. If the government was taking half our income I would never do that, and that would have been $130K the government would have spent on some slackers rather than supporting American jobs. (not the yachts Ben mentioned, but the same principle on a lower scale)

Remember when Obama did that Social Security tax cut? I went out and bought new appliances for the kitchen, again American company. (GE)

When you raise taxes on people with money to spend, they don't spend it. When you give money to broke people, they get a haircut and a six pack. There is no doubt that when you redistribute income to the broke they spend every cent, but they don't spend it on things that cost much and those sectors suffer.

When we made $55K a year household income 20 years ago we bought used cars (no money to American workers) and a used boat (no money to American workers) Now we buy new cars when they get to 60-70k miles and provide good used cars for the people who can't afford new cars and buy the goods of American companies helping to keep them working.

That's how the economy should work, not "Hate to say it, but you guys have figured out how to make a decent living. You get to support a bunch of slackers now."

That's not "progressive", that's a crazy hobo wet dream.