# Does Kerry want to raise the capital gains tax? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 29, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-kerry-want-to-raise-the-capital-gains-tax/257359 "2004-07-29T00:49:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-kerry-want-to-raise-the-capital-gains-tax/257359/41 "2004-07-30T20:59:14Z")
Here is an article about this “double taxation” concept in the Detroit Free Press: [IRS: Double taxation of earnings rampant, experts contend](http://www.freep.com/money/business/tax19_20030519.htm). ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-kerry-want-to-raise-the-capital-gains-tax/257359/42 "2004-07-30T21:08:11Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > You are right to be skeptical, jst don’t delude yourself into thinking that only the rich are self-interested in these tax debates. Oh, absolutely. That is what our society is based upon. One of the main justifications for a 1-person 1-vote democracy is because each person should have an equal stake in decisions that involve their interests competing with the interests of others. (Otherwise, it is actually kind of hard to justify why we have everyone vote rather than just those who pass some knowledge / reasoning tests.) However, the rich are the ones who are best able to drum up the resources to push for their interests…And, are able to hire representatives who are most creative for them in trying to convince people that their interests are aligned with what happen to be the interests of the rich. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-kerry-want-to-raise-the-capital-gains-tax/257359/43 "2004-07-30T21:15:18Z")
> [@jshore](#): > > Oh, absolutely. That is what our society is based upon. One of the main justifications for a 1-person 1-vote democracy is because each person should have an equal stake in decisions that involve their interests competing with the interests of others. (Otherwise, it is actually kind of hard to justify why we have everyone vote rather than just those who pass some knowledge / reasoning tests.) > > However, the rich are the ones who are best able to drum up the resources to push for their interests…And, are able to hire representatives who are most creative for them in trying to convince people that their interests are aligned with what happen to be the interests of the rich. I’ll agree with that. Maybe someday I will outline my personal ideal tax system, a consumption tax, which of course is both most efficient and fair, and would be implemented if everyone was a wise as me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-kerry-want-to-raise-the-capital-gains-tax/257359/44 "2004-08-01T19:15:43Z")
> [@pervert](#): > > I was specifically asking what government services you keep refering to every time you try to make the point that money earned does not belong to the earner because it was earned in a society. Yeah! We don’t need no steenkin police! Ditch the army too! Our economy will do so much better when people are afraid to get out on the streets due to crime, when they are afraid to get out on the streets due to potholes, when they are afraid to get out on the streets due to terrorism, when they don’t know how to value money due to periodic hyperinflation and recession cycles. All very economically efficient. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-kerry-want-to-raise-the-capital-gains-tax/257359.md?page=2)