# Is there anything wrong with "class warfare"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-wrong-with-class-warfare/634349>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [September 10, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-wrong-with-class-warfare/634349 "2012-09-10T23:03:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 242

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**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-wrong-with-class-warfare/634349/242 "2012-09-22T18:13:17Z")

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Recall that Romney paid more than he was obligated to just to get his tax up to 13%. And that’s just on AGI, and doesn’t include [appreciation in his Sep-IRA fund which has magically accumulated $20 to $100 million despite the small cap on contributions](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-15/the-secret-behind-romney-s-magical-ira.html).

13% is an interesting tax rate – it’s about what the working class pays _just for their federal payroll taxes_ even with the temporary 2% stimulus cut, and even when their income tax is zero.

> [@mmmbeer](#):
>
> … the progressives attack saying that the $75 million should be taxed at 40%, which IS class warfare.

If you think the Marxists with pitchforks are going to get Romney’s tax rate anywhere near 40%, I’ll ask what you’ve been smoking! 😃 Would 25% be “class warfare”? How about 28%?

What _is_ class warfare is to call the push for increasing taxes on the rich “class warfare” while insisting that the working class, who already pay a higher rate than Romney when payroll (and employer-provided) taxes are included, should pay _yet even more_ so they have “skin in the game.”

> [@mmmbeer](#):
>
> I push for 10%, but that is to accomplish a 2nd purpose explained earlier.

Right now, Romney and lowest-wage workers pay about the same, about 13% each. Do I understand that you want to drop Romney’s rate to 10% while increasing the rate on lowest-wage workers (payroll tax plus income tax) to 23% ?

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