"Eat the Rich" is just another provocative, extreme slogan. The media creates these trite 'bumper stickers' with the idea that the larger the sweeping generalization, the better. Here are some of the bumper sticker answers I got recently when I asked why it was inappropriate to raise any new deficit-reducing revenue through added taxes.

"I earned it, I spend it" This sounds good, but ignores the fact that it is impossible to run any government without taxation. It also ignores the fact that a stable government allows citizens to pursue gainful employment and enforces laws which protects them from others who would rather steal than work. Everyone must pay something, even the poor, like the sales tax on the shirt they bought at the thrift store.

"Taxed Enough Already" This sounds good too, an apt slogan for every generation, country, era, etc. But the facts are that Americans pay the lowest taxes overall than in the last half century. Forget blame for costly wars, trade deficits or entitlements designed to make Americans' lives better, we absolutely must restore fiscal responsibility and it cannot be done if we cut every single discretionary dollar of spending.

"Symbolic Taxes Do Nothing" (I'm taking the liberty to turn one poster's message into another slogan.) I suggested that a justifiable tax increase would be to raise the capital gains rate, like St. Ronald supported in the 80's. Clearly that step alone would not make a big dent in the deficit, but I only used it as an example of at least one proposal which might break the logjam. The logjam must be broken. The beginning of a serious revision of the tax code in Congress would do that. And as an added bonus, the constant reminders by those pesky "occupiers" which some of you are becoming so uncomfortable with, would disappear!

"Democrats Wage Class Warfare". Again, an extreme and provocative way to change the subject from an intelligent discussion of dealing with the deficit. And it adds a nice negative slam at the same time.

There are a bunch of other single words which have been given negative connotation by some posters here. 'Liberals', 'socialists', 'communists', 'nazis', 'ny times', etc,etc. are used to brush off further discussion of the issues.

Please don't brush me off with a bumper sticker like "evidence is usually fatal to the liberal world". I'd like to present more evidence of why I think some new revenue from the wealthiest Americans is a justifiable component of deficit reduction. I refer to the new report that in the last 28 years, middle class Americans have realized a 40% increase in their incomes. At the same time the wealtiest have seen their incomes increase by 275%.

OK, I can't resist at least one sweeping generalization: I believe that if the above situation is allowed to continue unchecked, it will eventually be the major contributing factor to the destruction of our nation. This is what our grandchildren will inherit.