[Eddy_Viscosity2]

>Capital gains taxes have historically been lower to encourage the investment of capital.

That's nonsense. They have historically been lower because rich people make (or at the very least, heavily influence) the rules and so they tipped the tax scales in their favor. The 'encouraging investment' bit is just the nice sounding excuse they use.

[matthew9219]

Seems specious. Democratically elected representatives said it was to encourage the investment of capital as they wrote the laws, and then got reelected by the voters. You can say the representatives were lying and the voters didn't care / are dumb - but where's the evidence?

I think the simplest explanation for why representatives vote the way they do is the public statements they themselves make before and after their votes. If you want to make a more convoluted argument and assert a conspiracy, you should bring some evidence.

[Eddy_Viscosity2]

"economic elites and organized interest groups play a substantial part in affecting public policy, but the general public has little or no independent influence."

https://www.vox.com/2014/4/18/5624310/martin-gilens-testing-...

[dubcee349]

Democracy denied with citizens united. everyone is paid for now and you are not allowed to find out by who.

[yieldcrv]

interesting then in Washington State that employed people are not paying their fair share and the capital class should use their influence to do something about that, by your logic