Tax the Lucky and Reward the Politicians - A Great Tax Plan for Finishing Off the American Empire

Brad Delong of the NY Times wrote an article in the economics section titled, "Tax luck, not thrift."  He goes on to talk about the fairness of progressive taxation while recognizing current drawbacks about offshore tax shelters and toting the benefits of a substantial social insurance.  You might think that in light of the long list of government failures more skepticism is warranted.  However, Brad enjoys speaking in sophomoric generalities and assumes that services rendered by the state are both positive and desirable.  He also ignores the implications of what he deems as lucky moves in the market.