Kristof

I'm not a huge Kristof fan because of his columns like this. Maybe I just don't read enough columns in general, but it seems like Kristof has a talent for stating the obvious.

This column just isn't that interesting to me. We all know that Boomers are selfish. We all know that retired people have more time on their hands. We all know that running up debt is not a good thing.

Kristof seems to just be asking Boomers to take some responsibility for themselves. That may be an interesting point, but its not just about Boomers.

So, here's my chance to state the obvious: We don't live separately from each other. We have competing goals, competing policy interests, and a lot of the time, the game is near zero sum.

If we want things to be better, sometimes we have to give up what we want as individuals. It's not just personal responsibility, but responsibility to the community.

And taxes are a perfect example of that: In a very real way, people who benefit from the rules and organization of society have a responsibility to the community that allowed them the opportunity to gain the benefits. To be explicit, no one has become wealthy on their own. Not only does everyone receive help at some point, but the accumulation of wealth occurs only within the context of a pre-existing society.

Given that, taxes are appropriate, and higher taxes for people of more wealth are appropriate. The more you benefit, the greater your responsibility.

Edit: As Garrison Keillor recently said, it's best to think of taxes as "user fees."