Thank you all for your wise words. Thanks to information found here I can claim victory tonight in political argument with my conservative stepfather. He graciously conceded defeat in an email saying only "You have too much data". I'd like to thank all of your diaries and comments for giving me the information I would need to achieve this awesome victory (tongue firmly in cheek).
It all started this weekend when I was visiting Mom and Bob. Mom was out taking care of grandma and Bob and i stood in the kitchen, shooting the breeze. Bob, with Fox News playing in the background, was preparing a sandwich. He made the argument that the Buffet rule was unfair, because it was taxing income for a second time. I listened and did not respond as I often do when he repeats something he obviously has heard on Fox News.
I was unsatisfied and when I got home this morning I responded with an email saying that true taxing capital gains could be seen as taxing income twice, but the investments that produce capital gains could not happen without a federal government to protect and provide for them.
He responded via email saying that it is not fair that the top five percent pays 70 to 80 of the income tax and the poor pay nothing in income tax at all.
I responded that his numbers were inflated. In 2009 the top five percent only paid about 58% of income tax and the poor do pay taxes, consumption and payroll taxes. And using the example of where I used to live in Tennessee the educational system, which is not supported by state income taxes, uses lottery money, largely provided by the poor, to give college scholarships which provide educated workforce, necessary for investment. Finally I argued that the Republicans only cry class war when those on the bottom complain about a system that is biased against them, and cited the particularly egregious example of Exxon Mobil which made billions in 2009 and paid no income tax, and how much money would they make without a highway system?
My step-dad graciously conceded defeat in an email later in the afternoon. I thank you all for my victory and hope my experience shows that Fox News viewers are all not totally closed minded and with patience and love we can show them the light. Yeah, lots of patience..lol.