Jumping on the socialism badwagon in response to concerns over income inequality is not a well-considered view. The American economy is predicated upon consumerism, which requires a strong middle class. Nobody is saying we should take from the rich and give to the poor, rather we are saying that those [productive] members of society who find themselves marginalized by the increasing polarity of capital are the primary drivers of the economy that produces that capital in the first place. It's not about taxing the rich and giving to the poor, it's about ensuring that the burden if taxation is shared equally and that the benefits thereof are invested in education and other programs that ensure continued competitiveness.