In an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson weighed in on a number of issues, including his idea for a 10 percent flat tax for all income earners. He says the idea he got from the Bible is "pretty darn fair."
The Washington Post quotes Carson:
“I got that idea, quite frankly, from the Bible. Tithing. You make 10 billion a year, you pay a billion. You make 10 dollars a year, you pay one. You get the same rights. That's pretty darn fair, if you ask me,” he told Wallace. “Some people say it's not fair because the poor people can't afford to pay that dollar. That's very condescending. I grew up very poor, I've experienced every economic level. And I can tell you that poor people have pride, too, and they don't just want to be taken care of.” Wallace pushed back on the plan, suggesting that the numbers Carson was presenting were incorrect and that the plan favored the rich. "Let's have a battle of the experts," Carson responded.
Carson also defended several controversial remarks he has made, including a comparison between Nazi Germany and present-day United States. He remarked that "we need to be willing to stand up and speak up for what we believe."
"There are a lot of people in our society who are afraid to say what they really mean because they may get an IRS audit, people will call them names, their jobs may be interfered with. This is not what America was supposed to be,” Carson said.
Carson also suggested that the Supreme Court's role in interpreting laws must be re-considered. He said the way we observe checks and balances between the branches of government has changed from the original intent.
“The way our Constitution is set up, the president or the executive branch is obligated to carry out the laws of the land. The laws of the land, according to our Constitution, are provided by the legislative branch. The laws of the land are not provided by the judiciary branch,” he told Wallace. "[T]his is an area we need to discuss. We need to get into a discussion of this because it has changed from the original intent. It is an open question."