re: #198 lostlakehiker

Did we ever in the past have two percent of the population ponying up 70% of their last dollar of earnings?

Yes.

From WWII until 1963, marginal tax rates topped out at 92%. (that may be somewhat misleading — apparently the very highest bracket only applied to John D. Rockefeller. Other almostRockefellers see to have topped at maybe 85%).

In 1963, the brackets were adjusted and the highest was 70%. That’s where it was until Reagan.