***  i don't think the 'lefties' here are against high wage earners per se (after all, our man db is one of them), ***

No, you (and your man, db) just want their "excess" share given to the "less fortunate".

No, we just don't mind sharing, actually. it's a good moral value in my book.

additionally, if db is one of those high wage earners (which he is) AND he wants his "excess" to go to those "less fortunate" (this is still only theoretical, until db chimes in, as is my supposition that you are and you don't) does that make him somewhat of a sucker, or a bit of a saint? with him knowing full well that some of it will be squandered and some of it will help, what values does that show on his part?

of course, we'd always like to see a higher rate of return on our investments, but we are realists; some will rise, others will coast and take advantage as long as possible, and some will sink. still, it beats having the streets even more full of hopeless drunk/armed/freezing to death poor lost souls (Shiva, am i radical today!).

also, i don't care to have my tax dollars spent on weapons, wars and massive social programs for other countries' citizens while ours are steadily being weakened (and pork and corporate handouts and huge pensions for corrupt pols and so on and so on and so on...), but such is the price we all pay for being American taxpayers. i'm basically okay with it, having long ago accepted it as an odd dichotomy of our convoluted system, but i do still enjoy a good complaint now and then. preferably now.

*** I would posit that we just do not care at all for the inflated sense of entitlement that some of them display so blatently. ***

I felt the same way for some of the folks in New Orleans.

not sure if they were indignant entitlement monsters, but i could see how they might be upset about the slow delivery of the 40 acres and a dale i mean mule (sorry, subliminal freudian thingie there)...do know that more than a few of 'em pissed away what they got. probably didn't have much hope for the future or solid money management skills, eh wot? live for today and all that be here now philosophy. it's not always wrong, as philosophies go, but you and i probably think it would have been wiser to save or invest. i know i do.

FWIW Every time I see a Hummer, I give them the bird. Pricks.

perhaps there's a slim glimmer of hope for you yet, but i'll believe it when i see it posted on FUH2.com!

:)