They paid more than 90% during and shortly after WWII when it was seen as a civic duty and a source of pride.

Oh really, you say that people were happy and proud to give 90% of everything they earned to the government? Please site something factual to back this up please. If this is merely your opinion, that is fine - you are entitled to it but please do not state it as if it were fact.

Whereas these days even increasing capital gains tax to more than 15% is seen as an infringement of rights...

In an economy where small business has to survive on tighter and tighter margins, how do you expect them to be able to hire new people (In this country, small business is the source of the majority of new jobs)? If you tax their captial gains at a higher rate, they have less money to put back into the business and, therefore, cannot hire more employees. Do you want this terrible economy to last forever?

Not by everybody, though. Last month Warren Buffett called for increased taxes on the rich. "My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress... It’s time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice."

There is nothing that prevents Warren Buffet from mailing a big fat check to the IRS if he wants to. They will happy to misuse the money if he sends it in. However, it is not that he wants to pay more in taxes. He wants everyone else to pay more in taxes.

Buffett said he he paid only 17.4% of his taxable income in taxes last year: if true, it wouldn't hurt for him and his buddies to pay a little more.

The big problem is that Obama considers anyone who makes more than $200,000 to be rich. That is the number he has thrown around since he was candidate Obama. $200,000 is not rich and this would effect a great number of small business owners.