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A Footnote on ‘Who will pay for it?”
Today’s Medium ran an article on America’s insatiable military spending and the fact that so many corporations like Amazon pay little or nothing in taxes. The author Lauren Martinchek blamed politicians of every stripe (other than progressives) for the unrelenting fiscal paradox: one party that claims to be financially responsible (the R’s)and the moderate who go along with them (the D’s).
While I agree with the overall thesis, the reasons who neither side will buck the status quo needs to be addressed. So I posit this blunt footnote:
But we do ask who will pay for it. We Americans are angry IF AND WHEN WE READ THIS TAX EVASION. However, the vast electorate is only concerned with getting ‘free shipping’ or binge watching or using our “points from credit debt’ for plane fares.
Even when this information gets out, the electorate worries that if taxes are raised on the Amazons, then prices will go up and layoffs of workers will come because these companies will ruthlessly protect the bottom line. And on top of that, the electorate votes against its own interests.
Government spending on social programs from Medicare to food stamps is viewed as ‘taking money from wallet to pay for lazy people who don’t work or have insurance.’ I know that these anti-government/ deep state fearing folks often consider…
