[festivusr]

You said "I understand that people want higher taxes on the rich. I think it's stupid, but I'm not going to argue about it." This is not a question, it's a statement, and a provocative one at that. Saying you're not going to argue about it is not going to stop discussion on exactly that point.

You also said "His real argument is probably too snooty of an argument to make in print, but something tells me that's what he's really getting at. I wished he'd have just come out with it, though. It would have been a lot more honest."

This strongly implies that the author (Buffett) is dishonest in his arguments. I'd say that's calling him out.

[DanielBMarkham]

"Honest" as in "straightforward," "direct" As opposed to convoluted or hard-to-interpret. Not honest as in telling the truth. If I tell you that it was about time to make an honest offer on a house, that doesn't mean that somehow you have been lying all along. The social utility argument was, in my mind, his best one. He should have been more direct about making it.

The first part was simply an expression of my bias. I owed that to the reader.

Good grief.

[festivusr]

I'd posit that your real point is exactly that which you say you don't want to argue. It's a strong statement and worthy of discussion.

Much more interesting to discuss that than how clear Buffett's argument is. (Which is quite clear, in my opinion.)

[DanielBMarkham]

Last comment: this has long ago passed the point of diminishing returns.

I originally wrote "intellectually dishonest" mostly out of habit. It's a phrase I like. But then I looked at it and realized that was way too harsh of a statement. Buffett is not lying here. He's just a nice old man (probably a little on the cranky side) who wants to play at politics a bit.

I don't think there was any subterfuge or lying at all going on. What I think is that he could have used a good editor, but probably when you are worth 3 kazillion dollars it's tough to get somebody to take you out to the woodshed and tell you to tighten up your piece, make a thesis, and then support it. I have structural problems with the article, not concerns about the honesty of the author.