I always thought they were just a provocation to make other measures seem more reasonable, or a kind of signal for filtering off thoughtful people and attractin

I always thought they were just a provocation to make other measures seem more reasonable, or a kind of signal for filtering off thoughtful people and attracting rubes for a rabble. When you realize wealth taxes are economic cannibalism, you just can't unsee it. Sure, eat the rich, but you are left with the same question the sort people who advocate that kind of thing never seem to ask themselves, which is, "and then what?"