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I always found it strange that modern socialists and leftists are very supportive of income taxes, even though it is a dreadful burden on those people who have

I always found it strange that modern socialists and leftists are very supportive of income taxes, even though it is a dreadful burden on those people who have to work for their survival. Why wouldn't leftists instead be more for taxes and tariffs on land, on commerce, on natural resources or on luxuries? The funny thing is that one of the goals of the communist party in the Soviet Union was to abolish all income taxes! Khrushchev even lamented later that they couldn't reach that goal. I suspect many hackers would have loved to be members of the Supreme Soviet, but how would they have reacted when Khrushchev suggested to abolish all income taxes?

throaway827 2y ago
one reason is that it's hard for a leftist to imagine a world where people making millions or billions to have a 0% income tax rate
- carlosjobim 2y ago
  People don't make millions or billions on working and receiving a salary.
slater 2y ago
> I always found it strange that modern socialists and leftists are very supportive of income taxes, even though it is a dreadful burden on those people who have to work for their survival What? We did "trickle-down" economics before. Surprisingly enough, it didn't work. At all. Also, back in the 1950s/60s, we thoroughly soaked the rich and got to go to the moon[0]. Then the 1970s came around and the new gen of wealthies were all "yeah nah, that sucked, let's do something about it!"[1] [0] in b4 "it's way more complicated than that!!1~" [1] https://wtfhappenedin1971.com/ https://wtfhappenedin1971.com/
- carlosjobim 2y ago
  When I say it's a dreadful burden, I mean it. For people doing physical labour and relying on their work for survival, they know exactly how much blood, sweat and tears they had to give for each dollar taken from them in taxes. For the people relying on real estate price appreciation for their income, taxes are more of an abstract.

throaway827 2y ago

one reason is that it's hard for a leftist to imagine a world where people making millions or billions to have a 0% income tax rate

carlosjobim 2y ago
People don't make millions or billions on working and receiving a salary.

slater 2y ago

> I always found it strange that modern socialists and leftists are very supportive of income taxes, even though it is a dreadful burden on those people who have to work for their survival What? We did "trickle-down" economics before. Surprisingly enough, it didn't work. At all. Also, back in the 1950s/60s, we thoroughly soaked the rich and got to go to the moon[0]. Then the 1970s came around and the new gen of wealthies were all "yeah nah, that sucked, let's do something about it!"[1] [0] in b4 "it's way more complicated than that!!1~" [1] https://wtfhappenedin1971.com/ https://wtfhappenedin1971.com/

carlosjobim 2y ago
When I say it's a dreadful burden, I mean it. For people doing physical labour and relying on their work for survival, they know exactly how much blood, sweat and tears they had to give for each dollar taken from them in taxes. For the people relying on real estate price appreciation for their income, taxes are more of an abstract.