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Reposted by political breakdown

Victoria Friend @txfriend.bsky.social · May 25

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 26

political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 25

Employers have huge leverage on workers in almost every aspect, including being the source of most worker's health insurance. How does that make sense?

political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 25

The single most important thing the U.S. needs is democratic worker representation through labor unions. Without labor being organized and threatening strikes, all change whether income inequality, healthcare reform, gun violence, education reform, decorruption of politics, etc cannot happen.

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

Have to say another Vietnam era level disrespect for the military is upon us when the US Air Force accepts bribes from Qatar that will cost the taxpayers billions. $. Shame on you, US Air Force.

political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

Call it “fair share” or don’t. But this is a rigged system that rewards wealth hoarding, tax avoidance, and political influence — while working people foot the bill.

That's not efficient. It's exploitation.

political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

We don’t need a VAT. We don’t need austerity.

We need to tax billionaires and mega-corporations like we used to — and stop pretending the current system is “progressive” because it has brackets.

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

“Turnover” in top earners doesn’t change the fact that income & wealth are massively concentrated. Whoever’s at the top, they’re paying less on more.

That’s not economic dynamism. That’s rigging.

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

Corporate taxes used to fund 30% of the federal budget in the 1950s.

Today? Less than 8%.
📎 Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: www.cbpp.org/research/fed...

www.cbpp.org

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

Effective tax rate for top 0.1% has fallen from ~50% in 1960 to ~25% today.
That’s below the rate many middle-class households pay.
📎 Saez & Zucman (2019): eml.berkeley.edu/~saez/saez-z...

eml.berkeley.edu

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

Lary says “fair share” is subjective and points to deductions, turnover among the top 1%, and marginal vs. effective rates.

That’s spin. Here’s what the data actually shows:

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

Yes, some of that is VAT — but that doesn’t erase the fact that we systematically under-tax income, capital, and corporate profits at the top.

We could raise $26 trillion in a decade just by matching the OECD average. No VAT required.

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

In 2022:
🇺🇸 US tax-to-GDP: 26.6%
🇫🇷 France: 45.3%
🇩🇪 Germany: 39.5%
🇬🇧 UK: 33.5%
OECD average: 34.0%
📎 OECD Revenue Stats 2023: www.oecd.org/tax/revenue-...

Revenue Statistics 2023

This annual publication gives a conceptual framework to define which government receipts should be regarded as taxes. It presents a unique set of detailed and internationally comparable tax data in a ...

www.oecd.org

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

The U.S. collects far less in tax revenue as a % of GDP than nearly every other wealthy country — and no, it’s not just because we don’t have a VAT.

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

If we matched the OECD average tax-to-GDP ratio, we’d raise $26 trillion more in revenue over a decade. That’s not about fairness in theory — that’s fiscal reality.

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

We don’t need to copy Europe's VAT — we need to restore a tax code that expects billionaires and large corporations to actually pay. In the 1960s and '70s, top earners paid far more in real terms — and the economy still thrived.

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

VAT is regressive, yes. But our problem isn't a lack of regressive taxes — it’s the lack of progressive taxation. Top marginal and effective tax rates have dropped for the wealthiest, even as inequality exploded.

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

International comparisons can be misleading if you don't account for structural differences like VAT. Here's the key point: the U.S. raises far less in tax revenue as a share of GDP than nearly every other OECD country, and that underfunds our infrastructure, healthcare, education, and safety net.

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

Disgusting plane. Having it steam cleaned from all the sex parties on that flying f palace will cost more than the plane and still leave a stench.

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

True. One could ask why is Trump investing in real estate all over the world building luxury hotels overseas rather than in the US, but no one in MAGA seems to think about these simple questions.

political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

Not Real Pics @notrealpics.bsky.social · May 22

US Air Force not a military of the people. Corrupt military deserves no respect. Sold out to Qatar.

political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

Not Real Pics @notrealpics.bsky.social · May 22

US Air Force not a military of the people. Corrupt military deserves no respect. Sold out to Qatar.

political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

Not Real Pics @notrealpics.bsky.social · May 22

US Air Force not a military of the people. Corrupt military deserves no respect. Sold out to Qatar.

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political breakdown @politicalbreakdown.bsky.social · May 22

Not Real Pics @notrealpics.bsky.social · May 22

US Air Force not a military of the people. Corrupt military deserves no respect. Sold out to Qatar.