24 Comments

• maloney | Mar 15, 2011, 03:38 PM EDT

  sirpeter..sorry for the rants of burrrobson, it's obvious he hasn't been around long. These kind of posts should be saved for the seano's of the world. There is a huge difference in socialists who want only good for the world and socialists who are like the muslims who only want death to anyone who is not one of them. Never overlook the bullit for a cure to the common cold.

• seanomelbourne | Mar 14, 2011, 09:08 PM EDT

  Dictatorships is where you will find long queues and they are usually right of centre. How many communist states are there burr. I think you should take the burr out of your pants as it seems to be affecting your judgment. To castigate an individual on grammar is ignorant and shows a lack of decorum on your part. Are you an academic snob or just up yourself?

• hancock | Mar 14, 2011, 09:24 AM EDT

  Stay in Ireland.

• BurrRobson | Mar 13, 2011, 10:40 PM EDT

  Sirpeter, did you finish even grammar school? The top 5% of Americans DO indeed pay over 95% of all income taxes. And I too have visited countries all over the world. And guess what? Living under communism meant poor health care, long lines at grocery stores waiting and overpaying for even poor quality essentials, harsh police policies and NO WAY OUT. Your writing is so poor I can only guess that you are very, very uneducated and ignorant.

• BurrRobson | Mar 13, 2011, 10:36 PM EDT

  Dear idjit, You also forgot to post the taxes these people pay. Well in line with their incomes. Or is you message that you want America to become a socialist, entitlement state like failing Ireland? Yep, Ireland is an example we can all feel free to RUN LIKE HELL FROM.

• Irishphotograph | Mar 13, 2011, 07:46 PM EDT

  Sarah Palin is the face for these people! She says a few buzz words like faith & values & you are bought!

• Irishphotograph | Mar 13, 2011, 07:40 PM EDT

  Capitalism eh!

• armaghabu | Mar 12, 2011, 10:47 PM EST

  The GOP election platform for 2012: "We have far to many whiners in this country who expect everything to be equal. Never was never will be. Suck it up."

• Searlit | Mar 12, 2011, 04:07 PM EST

  walleyeman, the top 1% hasn't actually done any work in a very long time, if ever. Their "work" consists of sucking up the income from the products made by the actual working people, as well as, all the other services performed by working professionals. I don't begrudge anyone who's worked for their living a right to enjoy the products of their efforts. Things have gotten way out of balance and it is unsustainable. You can't cloak it in the usual flippant remark. It is pure cynicism to say that things can't change. They have gotten worse over the last 30 yrs under republican controlled administrations. They can get better, again.

• walleyeman | Mar 12, 2011, 02:20 PM EST

  I started out with nothing and I have most of it left. In all seriousness my father worked a rather menial job for one of Americas wealthiest industrial families. I saw first hand the advantage that money can bring. I also saw that it did not bring them family peace and tranquility. Just the exposure however instilled in me the desire to succeed. I did on my own I might add. I am secure financially have a great family.while I will never be included in this list of 400 I don't begrudge any of them their success. We have far to many whiners in this country who expect everything to be equal. Never was never will be. Suck it up.

• Searlit | Mar 12, 2011, 02:15 PM EST

  Further, American taxpayer's money goes to subsidize oil companies and most other large corporations. Then these corporations moved their headquarters off shore to avoid paying taxes. They have also received incentives to do this. Don't forget the many loopholes and safe havens that protect the top 1% from other taxes. Warren Buffet admits his receptionist pays more taxes percentage-wise than he does. With the marginal tax rate for corporations lowered by Ronald Reagan, who also broke the air-traffic controllers union, the Republicans broke the contract with the American people. Just how many ways can you have you cake and eat it, too, and then call it democracy? Corporate America and their GOP yes-men have completely changed the meaning of capitalism by taking away any regulations that would have kept them honest.

• sirpeter | Mar 12, 2011, 07:16 AM EST

  McNabb1966..I travel all over the once communist eastern block. I often ask them which did they prefer communism or capitalism,they nearly always say they were better off under communism then they are now. They do say well at least we can speak out about things. That was the only up part. Let me prove to you why Capitalism is all that great. Most of the world is Capitalist ,and most of the world is dirt poor. There is your answer. The USA and Europe hoover up their wealth.

• sirpeter | Mar 12, 2011, 07:01 AM EST

  FastEddy..Quoet"The wealthiest 2% pay 95% of all US income taxes, fines, fees, tithes and tributes".Unquoet. Incorrect statement. The 95% is still payed by what is produced by the people who work for that 2%.

• seanomelbourne | Mar 12, 2011, 01:16 AM EST

  Don't be to fast eddy if they own 95% of the wealth and pay 95% of the taxes and how do they still amass fortunes.The GOP middle class is either ignorant or brain dead.McNabb you're dumb you can't really be serious with that mindless drivel you have just written.

• olovely | Mar 11, 2011, 11:30 PM EST

  Three economists - Thomas Piketty of the Paris School of Economics, Emmanuel Saez of the University of California, Berkeley, and Daniel Mitchell of the libertarian Cato Institute - agreed that all of these figures are true. As of 2009, the net worth of the nation’s 400 wealthiest individuals exceeds the net worth of half of all American households.

• McNabb1966 | Mar 11, 2011, 09:23 PM EST

  Got the new Michael Moore talking points, huh? Fine, wrap yourself in that silly security blanket of cluelessness. But do us all a favor and stop calling yourself "Democrats" or "Liberals" or "Progressives" and just call yourself what you are: COMMUNISTS. And then move to a country where the conditions are less egregious and you can be "free" from "slavery." I hear that things are much more "equal" in Cuba, for instance. But since Cahir has got himself some figures I'll throw these into the mix. The total wealth of ALL the billionaires in the United States is $1.3 trillion. Take it all away from them and apply the entire amount to the 2011 Federal deficit ($1.6 trillion). And then, since you've wiped all the evil rich people, figure out what to do about the remaining $300 billion of this year's deficit. And then you can make your plans for 2012...and 2013...and 2014... Based on the level of economic understanding being displayed by the Leftists on here, my suggestion would be that when you make good your escape from the gulag that is the United States, you flee to a place where the economy is small enough for even you to understand.

• jamthecat | Mar 11, 2011, 06:11 PM EST

  What rpmschevy fails to note is that he and others like him are helping those 400 get even richer off their own backs, and I just don't understand that. He and his ilk are more concerned about people in poverty not paying taxes and "getting something for nothing" than they are with the fact that the rich are looting the US treasury, stealing people's savings and violating every law there is on the books, all with the help of both Democrats AND Republicans. That's seriously insane.

• rpmschevy | Mar 11, 2011, 05:44 PM EST

  While this may be true, what this liberal website keeps failing to state or show, is that we our at the point where nearly half of the people in this country, who, if they vote, vote democrat, pay no taxes at all. People read that again, nearly 50% of the people in this great country pay no taxes. Instead those of who are generally considered, or were, the most productive people in the world, pay for nearly half of this country to live and be non-producers. All because Democrats do not want to hold people responsible for their actions.

• FastEddy | Mar 11, 2011, 05:12 PM EST

  seaomelbourne: "The richest 1% got there by climbing over the backs of the middle class and 50% of the middle class vote for the GOP the party of the 1%. ..." ... and have been paying big taxes all along the way. The wealthiest 2% pay 95% of all US income taxes, fines, fees, tithes and tributes. Exxon/Mobile pays more taxes every year than ALL US income taxpayers. So, what do you want seao? All of it?

• seanomelbourne | Mar 11, 2011, 05:04 PM EST

  The richest 1% got there by climbing over the backs of the middle class and 50% of the middle class vote for the GOP the party of the 1%. They are constantly told that they can rise to the 1% Level by hard work the chances of attaining the 1% is about 1in 3,500,000,.You certainly can fool half of the people all of the time.

• Nicomax | Mar 11, 2011, 12:34 PM EST

  We can skip over these charts at our peril. If you say anything, or promote policy changes, you are accused of class warfare, often by those at the bottom of the economic barrel.

• LoyalCitizen | Mar 11, 2011, 11:48 AM EST

  It is certainly and advertisement for education having a well ordered society where a few have too much.

• curranart | Mar 11, 2011, 11:06 AM EST

  It wouldnt be hard to dig out whos the wealthiest 400 in Ireland after the last 15 years.

• DLW12183 | Mar 11, 2011, 09:49 AM EST

  Entitlements don't make you wealthy. It only keeps you up with the majority.