More than any other rule in our society, we cannot break this one: be extra nice to the rich people. Even as society seems to fall apart, the rule is actually enforced more aggressively.

New York State seems to be on the verge of financial ruin. But please, whatever you do, don’t raise taxes on the rich who live in the state. Any politician who dares utter the three words, “tax the rich” is branded a dangerous left-wing extremist. The second, and presumably final COVID-19 stimulus / rescue package just passed by Congress contains many tax cuts. One of them is a ridiculous expansion of the tax deductions for corporate business meals, known since the 1950s as the “three martini lunch deduction.”

We have the best government money can buy, and it's very rare when any politician looks the big shots in the eye and says we're going to raise your taxes. The last president who did was Clinton, and his party was severely punished for it in 1994. Remember the Newt Gingrich revolution? It was about working people. It was all about protecting low taxation for the rich under the banner of deficit reduction and fiscal responsibility.

Right now, the virus has pauperized at least 50,000,000 Americans, and the rich are literally feasting on the fallen. They've bought up the assets of the bankrupt, they're buying more property, and their stocks have more than recovered. They're richer and more powerful than ever. We live in glorious times!