Before we get to Democratic Socialist (Marxist) NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his communist pals about the ridiculous "fair share" nonsense, let's first revisit a fundamental truth about the Democrat Party.
Democrat politicians and their new wacked-out communist comrades don't give a rat's behind if we (conservatives and other rational people) believe the blatant fairy tales they tell; chief among them being the rich don't pay their "fair share." What they do care very much about is programming their low-information rank-and-file voters to believe their lies.
A basic understanding of the above is important when trying to figure out how the Left works — how and why it makes the ridiculous and sometimes vicious claims it makes.
Anyway, let's continue with the issue at hand, which is the Democrat Party's canard that "the rich" don't pay their "fair share." The salient question is whether or not the Left's "fair share" holds water. Spoiler: not a drop.
Consider the following statistics from the Tax Foundation:
The Top 10 Percent Already Pay Roughly Three-Quarters of All Federal Income Taxes
According to the IRS Statistics of Income (as compiled from IRS data):
- The top 10 percent of taxpayers: pay about 72 percent of all federal individual income taxes.
- The bottom 90 percent pay roughly 28 percent.
That means the statement that "The top 10 percent pay more than the bottom 90 percent combined" is indeed accurate for federal individual income taxes.
The Top 1 Percent Alone Nearly Equals Everyone Else
The numbers are even more striking.
For tax year 2023:
- Top 1 percent earned about 20.6 percent of adjusted gross income.
- Yet they paid 38.4 percent of all federal individual income taxes.
- The bottom 50 percent earned 12.3 percent of total adjusted gross income.
- Yet they paid just 3.3 percent of federal income taxes.
I could go on with the facts, but it's more important to learn how to confront the narrative, in terms that regular folks just might listen to — the rational ones, anyway.
ALSO CHECK OUT:
The Shocking Cost of New York’s ‘Tax the Rich’ Experiment Has Finally Been Exposed
Gross: Mamdani Mocks New Yorkers With Post About Dropping New Tax on Them
Make no mistake. As political commentator Jonathan Turley put it in his Monday column:
The demonization of the wealthy is one of the oldest tactics of politicians seeking to empower themselves by harnessing mob rage. Combined with pledges of free stuff under socialism, it creates a dangerous delusion among disgruntled citizens.
Hence, few leftist political talking points are repeated more relentlessly than the claim that the rich aren't "paying their fair share." It's a favorite refrain of Mamdani, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17), and other so-called "progressive" Democrats.
Why?
Because the Democrat Party is in the business of fearmongering, which it has embraced for more than six decades.
Moreover, the Left's fearmongering is centered on dividing America along class (and racial lines).
Why?
Because, other than hatred of President Donald Trump, the Democrat Party is factually and morally bankrupt; it offers no solutions, choosing only to promote hate, lies, and related division.
So How Should Conservatives Refute the Left's Lies About 'Fair Share'?
While facts are always the best argument, that truism doesn't apply to the Left.
Leftists tend to ignore or discount facts for the simple reason that facts and data generally blow up their narratives. Hence, they play on the emotions of their useful idiots, including in the so-called "mainstream "media — and of course, Democrat voters.
That said, try challenging their premise, if you're so inclined — ask them to define "fair share."
How much is enough to pay in federal taxes? 35 percent? 40 percent? 50 percent or more? The fact is, the phrase "fair share" is much more a charged political slogan than an objective benchmark.
Finally, the ridiculous attack on billionaires — not named George Soros — including the claim that such villainous ogres "don't pay taxes" is as humorous as it is ludicrous. While the IRS doesn't publish taxpayers by net worth, it classifies returns by reported income.
A billionaire can report relatively modest taxable income in one year and enormous capital gains in another. For example, Elon Musk paid an estimated $11 billion in taxes for 2021, which was driven primarily by exercising millions of expiring Tesla stock options.
Did Elon pay his "fair share"?
I report, you decide.
Note: The mainstream media isn't interested in the facts; they're only interested in attacking the president and propping up the Left's narratives. Help us continue to bring you the facts by supporting our truth-seeking journalism today.
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