Stephen King pens profanity-laced op-ed on income inequality
US best-selling author Stephen King talks during a press conference. The author penned a controversial op-ed about taxation on the Daily Beast on Monday.
Stephen King, acclaimed author of over 40 novels, penned an op-ed in the Daily Beast on Monday with a clear request to the American government: "Tax Me, for F@%&’s Sake!"
The opinion piece, laced with profanity and swipes at the GOP, makes the case for fair taxation, echoing arguments made by billionaire Warren Buffett and President Obama.
"I’ve known rich people, and why not, since I’m one of them?" King wrote. "The majority would rather douse their dicks with lighter fluid, strike a match, and dance around singing 'Disco Inferno' than pay one more cent in taxes to Uncle Sugar."
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King's diatribe goes on to make the argument that while the charitable "1 percent" of the United States can give to causes they believe in — King cites his fellow donors Buffett, Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, the Koch brothers, and the late Steve Jobs — the amount of their donations and where they give to is entirely up to them, and doesn't aid the country as a whole.
"Charity from the rich can’t fix global warming or lower the price of gasoline by one single red penny," said King. "That kind of salvation does not come from Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Ballmer saying, 'OK, I’ll write a $2 million bonus check to the IRS.'"
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Republicans were quick to jump on King's attention-getting arguments.
"King writes that his current marginal tax rate is about 28 percent and asks why it not 50 percent," wrote conservative blog Hot Air's Howard Portnoy. "But why stop there? If 50 percent is fair, how much fairer would it be if King and his likeminded rich pals were asked to pony up 92 percent of his income?"
However, King argues that his stance on taxing the rich isn't just fair, but part of America's culture.
"I don’t want you to apologize for being rich; I want you to acknowledge that in America, we all should have to pay our fair share," wrote King. "Our civics classes never taught us that being American means that—sorry, kiddies—you’re on your own."
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