I think she'd benefit from reading up on game theory.

No, it's a matter of hypocrisy. They made their money themselves, they think they know how to spend it best, not the government. But they can look "good" by offering to cough up their "fair share" along with the other billionaires that didn't attend.

But I want to know what my fair share is?

I wish they'd just write their checks to the U.S. Treasury and leave the rest of us the hell alone!

This was linked to in an earlier comment, for a previous post, but it illustrates just how silly the country has become.

The sci-fi people once posited that the amount of intelligence in the Universe is a constant, and that population diluted it. Eventually, only morons will be born.

Notice any kind of leadership in the attitude of the people featured here? How is it they actually earned the sums they profess to want to give away? Why are none articulate about their "cause"?

It's like vaccines. It doesn't work unless everybody does it.

We're sitting around, trying to figure out how to eliminate the deficit. Someone suggests "all the millionaires pay a larger percentage, enough to eliminate the deficit."

Your response to that should be "No, instead let's cut spending, enough to eliminate the deficit."

Or, maybe, "Let's raise taxes a little on everybody, combined with some spending cuts, enough to eliminate the deficit."

Or, "Let's do some other revenue-generating thing that will eliminate the deficit."

I would accept any answer, that includes eliminating the deficit.

However, asking any individual to donate more does not come anywhere near eliminating the deficit. So that's not a valid response.

It definately shows the hypocracy of these "generous" people, generous with other peoples money. They of course with their political stunt of claiming to want higher taxes will recieve, from their party considerations and loopholes so that they will personlly not pay more. If they were legitamit they would be willing to put their money where their mouth was.

PS Clinky, vaccinations work just fine even if everyone doesn't get one, it works for those who got them.Just as private donations would definately help, especially from these so called wealthy.

The problem isn't so much that those particular voluntary, individual contributions, in and of themselves will actually address the issue.

Of course it won't.

But, here's the thing. In this case (and to be honest, far too many others), we're being told that we need to make some kind of sacrifice (an involuntary sacrifice, at that), while those who are telling us that we need to make that sacrifice aren't actually willing to put their money where their mouths are.

If you're proposing that we must make an involuntary sacrifice, when you won't do it voluntarily, you have *no* moral authority for your position. And, as a result, you can now be safely ignored by the people you seek to control.

Now, from the standpoint of taxes, etc., I'm very much a fiscal conservative. I'm not opposed to taxes that pay for truly essential services, and will even tolerate a small amount of 'overhead'.

But now, we are far past the point where even a significant portion of our spending can truly be called significant.

So, my response to everyone who thinks that we should raise taxes is that we're spending far too much as it is. How about we start with cuts, first, and then (and only then) if it turns out that we legitimately need more, we can look at additional taxes at that time.

"But now, we are far past the point where even a significant portion of our spending can truly be called significant."

(typing fail)

-- 'called significant' should be 'called essential'

Well, as ABCnews reported tonight, the members of Congress are getting richer, while the rest of us are getting poorer:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/as-americans-get-poorer-members-of-congress-get-richer/

Past time for a revolution, methinks. At least get the majority of these "representatives" out of office. They no more represent you or I than they do a pequin. Our "representatives" are so far removed from our lives as to be ridiculous. They have no idea what it's like to live from paycheck to paycheck anymore.

PeNquin. Yeah I can spell!

o.O

Offtopic one: I wish Amy'd do a funny photo everyday or a Amazon linkpage everyday so that we'd have a place to share random offtopic stuff without stepping on anyone's toes. Or at least without stepping on anyone's toes accidently.

Offtopic two: Many, many years ago, when this woman got famous, she got on my nerves. Not just for being unfunny, as were so many people on Saturday Night Live, but for being oblivious. Carrying oneself in the manner of a sex blond without having so much as a wink of erotic awareness is a Christian sin, especially on a venue like Saturday Night Live, which was for a time where we all went for thoughtful cynicism.

Also, "crazyburgers" is a great word.

By entering this debate, one implicitly accepts that the current level of Federal spending is necessary, or even desirable. I don't believe that is the case.

Next, there is a distinction between wealth and income that is being ignored. Warren Buffett would be fine if he never made another dime. I'd be in trouble if my next paycheck didn't arrive.

What that ABC linkie didn't tell you is that it's legal for Congresscritters to use insider information to make market trades.

Then there are the IPOs...former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband have participated in at least eight IPOs. One of those came in 2008, from Visa, just as a troublesome piece of legislation that would have hurt credit card companies, began making its way through the House. Undisturbed by a potential conflict of interest the Pelosis purchased 5,000 shares of Visa at the initial price of $44 dollars. Two days later it was trading at $64. The credit card legislation never made it to the floor of the House.

Source: CBS News http://bit.ly/s5eh8M

Of course Warren Buffett famously owes the IRS a lot of money. And he's spending millions on trying to get big subsidies for the alternative energy companies that he is heavily invested in. He doesn't care about tax rates because he simply doesn't pay taxes. We've seen an awful lot of this in Washington the past few years.

It's a prisoner's dilemma... only works if all the rich people do it.