Back in 1975, I think, a very very smart History prof of mine pointed out that historically the Upper class does not pay tax and the lower class cannot, so all government is financed by tribute of the conquered or by the middle class.
The contradiction of course, it that the upper class hates and fears the middle class as rivals who seek their, the upper classes, social position and power and so act to weaken the middle, or what was called the yeoman class.
In our time, this is done by taxing the middle class to "provide social benefits to the less fortunate".
The truly "Upper class" don't pay tax, they have "loopholes" and foundations.
As far as "Nationalism" ,among the "elites" that concept is as dead as a dinosaur.
The "best and brightest" have long seen themselves as "citizens of the world.
So, if I can make a larger profit by moving the old family factory to China, that is just too bad for the plebs in Brooklyn.
Think of the "Good" I am doing by "Giving hope and jobs" to the people of China...
I am building bridges to world peace..and making a buck.
Profitable idealism.
AM signing off
9 years ago
1 comment:
Quite a lot of the truly "upper class" do pay taxes.
There are tax shelters that us middle classers make use of, such as a standard or Roth IRA. Pay into an IRA with pre-tax dollars, get taxed on it when you withdraw, or put taxed dollars into a Roth and it doesn't count as income when you withdraw.
The old wisdom that the upper class doesn't pay taxes no longer applies. Sales tax, property tax, etc.
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