The Mantra of the 1980s Right

Remember how the right wing in the US, starting under Reagan and running right up to today, keep hammering the point that "government is the problem" and that the "taxes are too high" and that to have an entrpreneurial society you have to remove the "dead hand" of government with its taxes and programs and regulations, etc.?

Well, here are a few facts that should put the kibosh to that right wing nonsense:

The US at 26.1% pays less tax than any other industrialized country except Japan at 25.8%. Sweden is at 50.2%, the UK at 35.8%, and Spain at 35.5%, for example. BTW each of these three countries had higher growth (average per capita growth 1995 – 2005) than we did. 2.5%, 2.4% and 3.1% resp. compared to our 2.1%. Also Japan’s was 1% growth.

Will this stop the right wing blather? Nope. The ideologues on the right are not interested in facts or reality. They live in a world of certainties beyond the reach of facts or reason.

As you can see, the Washington Post's Frank Ahrens didn't bat an eye in the face of these facts. He resolutely kept to the "party line" that's been pumped out since 1980:

But did you know our corporate tax rate is among the highest in the world? That makes a real difference if you're a business and you're thinking about locating in the U.S. or, say, India.

In other words, he doesn't care if a different approach gives you faster growth and a bigger economic pie to share. He's focused on the "corporate tax rate" and is convinced that this is pure evil. He is ready to go down with the ship rather than help bail and create a better future for his kids. He wants to stand on the prow and spout the mantra that "government is bad, taxes are bad, regulation is bad" as the ship sinks rather than create a better future. This is the kind of "leadership" that has held the US in thrall for 30 years. Sad.