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majority of people who are being asked to pay their share DID NOT get there by scraping and earning that money, we all know that.

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Forbes Magazine likes to herald its reports on the wealthiest Americans as demonstrating the realization of the American dream: that one can go from rags to riches. For Forbes, the Horatio Alger story is the true story of America.

But careful identification of how Forbes' centi-millionaires and billionaires attained their wealth tells a different account of the plebeian origins of the richest Americans. Half of those on the Forbes 400 list started their economic careers by inheriting businesses or substantial wealth. Of these, most inherited sufficient wealth to put them immediately into Forbes' heaven. Only three out of ten on the Forbes list can be regarded as self-starters whose parents did not have great wealth or own a business with more than a few employees.

The data, then, do not support the assumption that the United States is a true meritocracy where the most able rise to their rightful positions. Nor do they defend the contention that the United States is structured so that authentic equality of opportunity prevails. Inheritances undermine the achievement-reward equation. http://www.faireconomy.org/press_room/1997/born_on_third_base_sources_
of_wealth_of_1997_forbes_400 to his screaming about 50% in taxes, that is simply impossible:

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The top marginal tax rate on ordinary income is 35.5 percent. Much of the earnings of those in the top income bracket come from capital gains, interest and dividends, which are taxed at 15 percent. Wiki

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That's before ANY deductions; in other words, nobody pays more then 35%. The tax rate hasn't been 50% since 1982.

Even if the Bush tax cuts expired, I BELIEVE it would jump to 42%--I read that somewhere but I'm not sure about it. Ergo, 50% on a dollar has no meaning whatsoever.

Not only that, but Lovitz said "This whole thing with Obama saying the rich don't pay their taxes is fucking bullshit"--that is in no way what Obama said; he knows it, you know it and I know it. Given the incredible discrepancy between what the rich pay and what the rest of us pay (when you figure into it what they pay on capital gains--which is where most of the money is made by many/most of them) and all the ways they have of avoiding paying the 35%, currently they pay far LESS than their fair share, any way you look at it. Which I know you don't; but in my opinion that's your own blindness. What I see of the numerical FACTS is what convinces me.

As to his being a Jew (which has WHAT to do with anything?) and a Democrat (yes, of course, we're all identical, we all feel the same about everything...? /snark), those aren't worth debating; again, they mean nothing whatsoever. That he's disappointed in Obama doesn't surprise me, many are, but the REASONS they're disappointed are things I don't give much weight to. Those who thought he was somehow going to come in and reverse eight years of insanity in two or three were delusional; those who expected wonders out of him bought into some kind of fantasy. I wouldn't expect ANY President to be able to fix this country as fast as people wanted, and I damned well KNOW McCain wouldn't have done any better! Only those who still believe in Trickle-Down think it's not actually Tinkle-Down with the rich getting richer while they piss on the rest of us.

What you're not understanding is that Lovitz is a COMEDIAN. Comedians exaggerate everything, and most comedians are angry people...look it up. He was pissed, so his pissedness comes out in a rant. Lovitz isn't the quietest of people, nor in my opinion is he the brightest or the most civil. He's certainly got a right to his opinions, but I don't find reason to give dthem much weight. Aside from which, I don't like any public figure calling any President a fucking asshole and I'm not impressed by people railing on the way he did, so that's my opinion.

I see Silent Bob voiced his own opinion on Lovitz's going over the cliff:

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At one point, Smith interrupts Lovitz, saying: 'Stop yelling at the 99 per cent'.

'It’s my club!' Lovitz fires back.

Smith responds: 'Yeah, but don’t burn it down man. Occupy Lovitz'

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I agree, and I've never been a fan of Lovitz nor respected his intellect. That's MY opinion.

Smith also nailed Lovitz with a statement which pretty much sums it up for me. When Lovitz mentioned he'd played characters who were arrogant idiots, people who "think they know everything but they're a moron", Smith popped in with "Like people who go on about the government". Not so silent, Bob!

I'll let the Silent One speak for me; I think Lovitz's rant was just that; a rant, an obscenity-laced one at that (which always impresses people) with little relevance.