We are still weeks away from Donald Trump officially becoming the U.S. president again, but just like how he is already building his cabinet of crooks, his trusted “scam artists” are packaging shiny lies in empty boxes of promises and brandishing them as plans to aid Americans. “But only the rich ones” was silent.
Enter Donald Trump Jr., who enthusiastically endorsed a flat tax proposal pitched by venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya. Paliihapitiya suggested ditching the 7,000-page U.S. Federal Tax Code for a simple flat tax system that could “fit into a few pages of simple English.” Trump’s ringing endorsement? “Yes. This times 1000.”
You already know what the response was from X—a flood of eye rolls. X users didn’t just slam the idea; they shredded it. It doesn’t take a degree in economics to know that flat taxes are a Trojan horse for the rich to get richer while everyone else foots the bill. If you don’t understand why a flax tax rate will benefit Donald Trump and his entire family, ask yourself this:
Another X user dissected the math behind the flat tax fantasy perfectly. “Don’t don’t be fooled by the scam artists… A flat tax means the rich pay a lower tax rate than they would if the tax system included tiered rates. With much higher income, an individual will feel less of a burden with paying taxes. In contrast, a flat tax on people with lower and middle incomes would be more of a strain their finances,” wrote @staycalm25.
Translation? Billionaires might toss glitter on this plan, but it’s clear enough who will get crushed: the common man. Meanwhile, the Trumps and Palihapitiyas of the world skip off into the sunset with even more money in their bank accounts.
Some critics didn’t manage to keep things calm and collected. User 6xism called the support for a flat tax “Straight LOW IQ inbred s**t.” And honestly? The raw energy of that takedown speaks for the countless Americans who’ve been burned before by so-called “simple” policies that are anything but. Billionaires don’t champion policies that don’t service their wallets, it’s as simple as that.
Flat tax advocates love to preach simplicity like it’s the gospel. Fewer pages! Fewer headaches! But here’s the thing: simplicity isn’t the same as fairness. Sure, a flat tax might cut down on paperwork, but it would cut even deeper into the wallets of low- and middle-income earners. And when Donald Trump Jr. starts throwing his weight behind it, you can bet it’s not because he’s losing sleep over how hard-working families are getting by.
It’s not hard to see why Trump Jr. and his billionaire buddies are fans of a flat tax. Imagine swapping out a progressive tax system where the rich pay higher rates for one where everyone, regardless of income, pays the same percentage. For a family scraping by, it’s one more idiotic policy. For a billionaire? It’s a rounding error on their latest yacht purchase. But hey, at least they’re consistent. When you’re selling snake oil, why not slap on some glitter and call it gold?
Published: Nov 24, 2024 12:14 pm