Idiocy of the day:
Outspoken Labour MP Frank Field has suggested that a 10% tax increase should be introduced on those earning more than £150,000 a year – a move that could earn the Treasury £3.6bn a year.
But the charges could be completely offset by charitable giving, he said. Acceptable behaviour contracts should also be imposed on the wealthy to foster a more giving culture...
Field argued that his proposals would encourage the super-rich to "embrace the responsibilities of wealth".
He said historical attitudes towards charitable giving, exemplified by Edwardian philanthropists... who provided thousands of jobs and ploughed profits back into society, have become fractured. (The Guardian) [emphasis added]
Imposing a tax to foster a more giving culture? WTF? On what planet is he living where you can impose a tax to foster a culture of giving? That makes bugger-all sense. You can't force someone to do something and then expect them to do choose to do it.But the charges could be completely offset by charitable giving, he said. Acceptable behaviour contracts should also be imposed on the wealthy to foster a more giving culture...
Field argued that his proposals would encourage the super-rich to "embrace the responsibilities of wealth".
He said historical attitudes towards charitable giving, exemplified by Edwardian philanthropists... who provided thousands of jobs and ploughed profits back into society, have become fractured. (The Guardian) [emphasis added]
The reason that the relationship between the Edwardian philanthropists and charity has become "fractured" is because the State has taken on so many of those tasks and is just having the same people pay for it, just through coercive taxes rather than by charitable giving. It's a pretty simple equation: the more you take by force in taxes, the less they give by choice as charity.
More taxes = Less charity. So get that through your thick head, Frank.
Of course Mike Ion thinks it "has real merit". But then, he would.
Image: Frank Field MP
