you've actually got to redistribute the wealth, not just the income

Regular commenter Brett says

I wonder how the actual revenue math would work out in terms of what you'd need for taxation, if you replaced the patchwork of welfare spending with universal single-payer and a basic stipend for every adult. About 76.3% of the US's 313 million people is above the age of 18, so a $25,000 stipend for every adult would lead to an annual cost of $5.97 trillion.

In a somewhat similar vein, a commenter on this Derek Thompson post says

The compensation for GM CEO Dan Akerson was $9 million for 2012. The total number of GM employees worldwide is two hundred thousand. So if we took his entire salary and stock compensation and gave it to the employees, it would be about $45 per employee.

Another commenter makes the fair point that the CEO of GM is, in the absurd world of CEOs, rather poorly paid. And I would also point out that there are hedge fund guys and assorted figures who make hundreds of millions in a year. But, yeah: the general point is a fair one. Taking income alone won't solve it. I imagine you've all seen the video with the graphical representation of the wealth distribution in this country. I think you've got to take the wealth, not just the income. Just as a practical matter.

Of course, that's the sort of thing that would put the wealthy into full-fledged revolt. But I also think that, eventually, the majority of people will revolt against a situation as extreme as it looks likely to become. It just isn't likely to become anything like the socialist revolution of my preference. It's more likely to just be an ugly, violent spectacle. The question is not whether this situation will eventually change. The social contract, which is what really keeps people from coming into your house and taking what you have-- not the police-- can only withstand so much. The question is whether it changes for the better. It seems likely, though, that however change comes, we won't be ready for it.

Either way, understand: I am not calling for class war. I am describing an already-existing class war. The charts in that Derek Thompson post? That video on wealth distribution? That's class war.