> First, I don't understand the logic of more taxes are good, but refusing to donate until others do it too. It seems that the harm is the same either way, and the benefit/$ is the same either way too.

If taxes go up, I receive X harm (lost dollars) and X + [huge number] of dollars go to the government.

If I give X dollars to the government, I receive exactly the same harm, but the benefit to the government is just X.

Identical harm to me either way, but one situation provides far more funding.

Further, voluntary contributions in a competitive society disadvantage the donor vs. everyone who chooses not to donate. Taxes (assuming fair application) remove this factor.

> Second, I almost never see advocacy for higher taxes for all (including themselves). IMHO it is nearly always a call for higher taxes for some sub-group (usually others), and usually applied in a progressive manner.

Progressive taxes are applied to all equally (accounting tricks and such aside—the intention is equal application).

My first dollar of reported income is taxed the same rate as anyone else's from the same sort of source.

So's my millionth dollar—I just don't happen to have that many dollars of annual income, so there's nothing to tax at that rate. Same as how a person with no income at all doesn't pay tax on that first dollar, since they don't have it to begin with.

Also, there are quite a few rich folks around who've consistently advocated for higher taxes on the rich. Buffett's well-known for that stance, but is far from the only one.