Here's the thing, while the trickle-down concept has some merit in the abstract, and I would agree the extremely high tax rates on the wealthy would be a drag on the economy, the truth is that giving tax breaks to the poor and the middle class is a better stimulant to the economy. Poor and middle class consumers SPEND the extra money in their pockets, bettering the lives of their families, creating jobs mass-producing the items in question, AND making the owners of said companies wealthier. This is how the underlying economy operates anyway, the masses buy products and services produced by the wealthy. For the most part people don't become billionaires producing products for the wealthy, they become that way by selling a whole lot of things to the middle class and the poor. Everybody wins in this scenario. The Bush Administrations' targeting of tax cuts primarily at the upper income brackets has resulted in a stagnant economy with little economic benefit to the largest portions of the population. The current situation with the rich having a field day while the rest of the population struggles is borne out by the sales figures in the retail sector. High-end retailers such as Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom are flourising with increased sales and profits while the likes of Walmart and Costco and other retailers who cater to the middle class and the poor are feeling the pinch, not to mention the societal and governmental costs involved with a sinking middle and lower class, such as crime, unemployment, health issues, erosion of local tax base, etc.