> All of that is paid for by the top 25% of income earners. How exactly is that worked out? Income taxes ($1.6t) and payroll taxes ($1.2t) are a similar level,

> All of that is paid for by the top 25% of income earners. How exactly is that worked out? Income taxes ($1.6t) and payroll taxes ($1.2t) are a similar level, and rich people tend not to pay payroll taxes as they aren't on a payroll. Payroll taxes cover social security payments ($1t), so that leaves income taxes paying for things like Defence ($1.2t for military and veteran affairs), which wealthy people disproportionately benefit from. Medicare and medicaid are the unusual ones, for the cost of those two alone ($1t, or $3000 per head) you could afford universal healthcare in other western countries.