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Entry: Greenspan's Gambits Link: http://www.takimag.com/site/article/greenspans_gambits#5591 Post contents: MSS sez: More humorously, Joe states that the progressive income tax is “...an extention [sic] of the teachings of Jesus...” Somehow I missed Christ’s endorsement of the New Deal in my reading of the New Testament…It gives perverse incentives to people to engage in behavior that is contrary both to Christian morality and to common sense…Christian charity differs from the welfare state in that Christian charity is voluntarily given to deserving recipients, whereas the welfare state is financed by compulsory exactions and its benefits are given indiscriminately to people whose own aberrant behavior is the principal cause of their poverty.” Well, here we go with the BLACK WELFARE MOTHER boogie man! It’s really sort of a straw man or red herring. The problematic nature of the welfare system, which encourages the male to leave the family in order to receive assistance, has nothing to do with the progressive income tax. <chuckle> We might mention of course, that “welfare” in the form of the family assistance you describe is a tiny percentage of what YOUR taxes pay for. National Defense, Interest on the Debt, Social Security and Medicare are 2/3 of the entire Federal Budget. The progressive income tax is a CHRISTIAN ideal, it’s the idea that those who benefit the most from our economic system should pay the most. It’s the simple Gospel of Jesus about the rich man, the eye of the needle and so on. You blather on about “Christian Charity”---but the fact is the existence of the progressive taxation on high incomes is most likely the single reason that the rich even contribute to charity at all---at least in the huge amounts that they do---it’s another DEDUCTION from their taxes. A rich person can keep MORE of his/her income by contributing a $1 Million to charity then they can otherwise. Progressive income taxes ENCOURAGE private contributions to charity! If you support “Christian Charity”, then you must support the progressive income tax. Sent at: 2008 11 22