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Comment by sejje | Hacker News Reader

Similarly, the people loudly protesting tariffs are traditionally for higher taxes.

Those people are generally for higher taxes on the rich. Tariff are a flat tax that dis-proportionally affects the poor.

Which is why the current administration and their (very rich) backers prefer tariffs to income taxes...

Every tax ever implemented by government has been initially sold as a tax on the rich. The people voting for it assume they will never be taxed because they aren't currently rich. But, there is never enough of other peoples money to spend. So, taxes expand and/or increase to include more people.

The original income tax was sold as 1% on mid income and 2% on high income. At the time more than half the country was not going to pay any tax.

Maybe because the rich consistently lobby and weasel their way out of paying their fair share so the burden on everyone else continues to rise?

Or, no amount of money is ever enough for government and taxing income is a dumb value to collect revenue.

Southern states supported an income tax because they believed it would make it possible to collect revenue for indigent people. Exactly opposite of "taxes the rich".

More than half the country still doesn't pay any (income) tax.

That is a bit of a lie. Getting a refund does not mean you didn't pay. Even getting more back than you actually paid does not mean you didn't pay. Money is taken from every paycheck. When you file your taxes the IRS decides what you get back.

Disagree, I think my wording was fine. But okay, 50% of Americans don't contribute to the country with income tax. They are leeching their services from those of us who do.

I believe these loud people are mostly for taxes on wealth vs. direct taxes on consumption, as the latter affect lower classes more acutely.

The proven recipe for success is buy more, earn less

Well, typically for higher progressive taxes. Tariffs are typically a regressive tax.

> higher taxes

...for the wealthy. Tariffs are use taxes and overwhelmingly affect the 99%.

For the wealthy, or for high earners? I have never seen a proposal for an income tax that grades with your net worth. They only grade with your income.

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