Buffet shouldn’t have just cut the IRS a check for $2B because it’s “meaningless to just send the money”?
So unless all the pieces are in place there is no value in paying the amount in taxes you publicly claim you should pay?
That’s like saying alcohol should be illegal, but drinking all the time. “Well, there is no point in me not drinking, the point is to change the law”.
That makes zero sense.
I completely disagree with you. The move should be to change the system.
It’s hard to take someone seriously when they say they should pay more tax, have every opportunity to pay more tax, yet choose not to pay more tax.
What you are saying is he should make a donation to the US government.
It’s why we have the phrase “put your money where you mouth is”.
And it’s not a donation. It’s intentionally paying more taxes because that what you think you should be doing. If the law changed he’d be paying the extra money anyways.
The law won't change retroactively so I don't see "If the law changed he’d be paying the extra money anyways." makes any sense.
Changing the law, on the other hand, is significant, because it impacts every millionaire/billionaire.
The consistent criticism is that Buffet has not put in enough lobbying to change the system. He could afford building of lobbyists and not farms and burned out influencers manipulating public consensus. Now that’s a a decent criticism. But no one should ever have to pay more than they must, just to have an opinion on their own government.