… and with that, the Buffett Rule is dead.  What was all the hub-bub about?  This was all an attempt by the Democrats and the White House to ruffle the wealth envy feathers of Americans surrounding tax day.  In the end, Democrats admitted that it wouldn’t do a damn thing about our debt, deficits or jobs … its purpose was to antagonize the moochers by pandering to their boundless quest for somebody else’s property.  People like Dave “Lando” Landis.  He has a rock ‘n roll merchandise website.  He says that when he is successful, he wouldn’t mind paying more in taxes: "I'm absolutely for giving and supporting those who cannot help and support themselves.  It's fair, because if you have more, you should pay more."

Two things for Lando.  First of all, “giving” is different than government confiscation.  Choosing on your own free will to give to charity or those in need is certainly an admirable act.  Nobody is saying that it isn’t.  The difference is that you, as a private individual, do not have the right to hold a gun to my head and force me to give up part of my property simply because you believe rich people should “give” to those who can’t help themselves.  But this is exactly what we are doing when we allow government to force rich people to give up a portion of their property.  Using the tax system as a weapon of mass destruction, we are terrorizing the very people whom we are also relying on to invest in businesses and start-ups and create jobs.  Why are liberals so opposed to guns and yet they will happily hand over the metaphorical gun to the government to hold to the head of rich taxpayers? 

And another thing for Lando.  He says that “it’s fair, because if you have more, you should pay more.”  If Lando isn’t a self-avowed communist, then we could just assume that he picked up this dogma sometime during his government education.  “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.”  Sound familiar … Lando??

I doubt that Lando, or your average wealth envy moocher out there, could tell you that the 237,000 millionaires in America pay a greater share of the income burden than every single American earning under $75,000 combined. 

The Buffett Rule outrage is truly misplaced.  Imagine if the White House and the Democrat establishment had spent this amount of time, energy and resources pushing for true tax reform.  Simplifying the tax code … there’s a start!  When the income tax was established in 1913, it came with one stickin’ page of instructions.  Now it comes with a 189 page book.  Or screw the tax code.  Let’s get rid of it all together!  But just remember that politicians from both sides LOVE the tax code because it is a powerful tool/weapon … whichever way you want to look at it.  It is used to manipulate behavior. 

Why do we continue to allow these clowns to wield this kind of power?