Everything ia a Pareto distribution guys, so stop figthing about it. 20% of people produce 80% of the wealth and at the same time 20% of people pay as much as the remaining 80% in taxes.
80% os people are just wasting energy, financial and other resources. The paradox is that if you try to eliminate the extra cargo, you are just raising the level and you end up with the same problem.
The Pareto curse...
There is no solution. There is no direct link between wealth and consumption. I know many wealthy people who live in small apartments, drive old cars and eat fast food. Actually, most consumption is driven by lower income people and thus the necessity for an income tax that redistributes income from rich to poor to keep consuption going.
Now, listen some of you, income tax works to the benefit of rich, since that consumption finances their wealth production.
Thus, up to a certain point, whatever the rich contribute in income tax, it comes back to them in the form of earnings.
So, watch out for covert Marxists who push for a consumption tax because they know that leads to socialism faster than revolution.
Again, up to a certain point income tax is beneficial, after that it becomes a wealth-out effect. I think the cut-off point is 35%, absolutely.