As Krugman points out, not only are they rich, they whine that they’re not richer:
Digby finds another hard-working, wealth-creating salt of the earth type complaining about the possibility of higher taxes: Ben Stein. I think I need a drink.
But being the nerd I am, this is what caught my eye in the Stein rant:
I worked for almost every dollar I have, except for a small percentage my parents left me by virtue of hard work and Spartan living, and most of that was taken by the federal estate tax.
OK, the late, great — and I mean that — Herbert Stein died in 1999. At that time the first $650,000 of an estate was tax-free — $1.3 million for a couple, provided it did what CBO calls “minimally competent estate planning” — with a 55% tax on the amount above that.
So either Ben Stein inherited several million dollars — which, although this may be news to him, is not the experience of most Americans — or he’s just making stuff up.
We really need to get in stories FROM REGULAR PEOPLE to counter stories like this! Because this one is the one people will remember, unless we hit back really quick!
Heck Tracey, I’m a REGULAR PERSON who was bequeathed a grand total of 10 grand by my mom who passed away 20 years ago. Course after she was cremated, I ended up with about 7 grand. Um, does that count as a regular story?
There are something like 347 million of those ‘regular people’ stories. Those stories are very repetitive and most (99%) everyone’s familiar with the plot line. I think it more effective to point out that these gits had every advantage this government and society offered (a distinct rarity), made a shit load of money (an even more distinct rarity) and are now whining that they don’t get more (not rare enough). Maybe it should be pointed out that the last group with their mindset ended up in the guillotine square with some Gomer showing their severed heads to the cheering throng.
Heck, Dandy, that does count, BUT WAS IT PUBLISHED ANYWHERE BESIDES HERE? Like, say, in the same media that Ben Stein’s story was published in?
I’m teasing with you Tracey! I’m outraged that the fuckers who are lavishing in real, bigtime dough have the goddamned audacity to want even more. I’m with Ron——————–let’s whack off their noggins!